The Edmonton Oilers are loading up their top line for Saturday night’s game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Connor McDavid centred the top line with Leon Draisaitl and the red-hot Jack Roslovic on his wings, as the team looks to match them up with the potent top line of the Avalanche.

“I’m sure there’ll be a lot of times where those two lines are against each other just because of the amount of ice time that each line will be playing. And I think it’s a good matchup for a good challenge for our guys,” said Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch. “I think they enjoy having those times when they’re playing against other teams best and you know, their top line or their top five-man unit, which plays a lot together, are obviously one of the best, if not the best in the NHL.

“It’ll be exciting for the fans seeing all those stars players on the ice against each other.”

The rest of the Oilers lineup, meanwhile, has a new look to it too.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is set to centre the second line with Vasily Podkolzin and Andrew Mangiapane, while Noah Philp will centre the third line flanked by Adam Henrique and Trent Frederic. The fourth line, meanwhile, will feature David Tomasek, Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie.

On the blue line, Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard will skate together on the top pair, Darnell Nurse and Alec Regula will man the second, and Brett Kulak and Jake Walman will be the third pairing.

A key to the game will be dealing with Colorado’s nearly unmatched speed and skill, as well as their transition game.

“There’s some teams out in the East (that) maybe play that tempo, but maybe not quite as much skill as Colorado has,” he said. “Early on in the year, I would say that their skill and speed and tempo is probably the best.

“The biggest thing if a team has good transition, it’s usually because they’re doing a good job of breaking up plays and not allowing the other team to have a good entry or forcing turnovers in the neutral zone. And then that’s where the opposition team is in kind of a scramble mode and not have their structure, and that’s when you take advantage of it.

“So for us to limit Colorado’s transition game is being good with the puck and not having those turnovers. If we try and stickhandle through a defenseman or try a low percentage pass that gets intercepted, that’s when we’re in poor position to defend that counter attack.”

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s associate editor, senior columnist, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.