The reinforcements are coming for the Edmonton Oilers, but where do we put them?

With the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs getting underway and the Oilers looking for a fourth consecutive playoff series win against a physical and persistent L.A. Kings team, help is arriving at just the right time. According to head coach Kris Knoblauch, there’s a *chance* that Evander Kane, Trent Frederic, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman could all be available for Game 1, or at least early in the series. Some guys we know will be in, others we’re hopeful for. That’s not just one or two pieces — we’re talking about an entire line of impact players getting thrown back into the mix.

In my biased imagination, this changes everything. Or at least, it should.

Kane’s been out all season with an array of surgeries and injuries, Frederic has only played 7:10 since being acquired, Draisaitl missed 11 games with some lower-body issue, and Hyman’s day-to-day with an unknown issue suffered against the San Jose Sharks. On their own, each guy coming back would be a big boost. Together? It creates an intriguing (and tricky) puzzle for Knoblauch and the coaching staff to solve.

That brings us to this week’s What Would You Do Wednesday (Sunday Edition): If all four of these forwards are healthy and ready, how would *you* set up the Oilers’ line combinations?

Even though we know Leon Draisaitl will play — the guy would manage to be productive even if he had an arm ripped off — the status of the other forwards is quite as certain. When in the lineup, he’s one of the most dominant playoff producers in the league. His return doesn’t just help the power play, it balances out the entire top six. While we’re hopeful everyone will be back in time to play tomorrow, the reality is that there are still question marks lingering all over the place.

Inserting Evander Kane back into the lineup gives Edmonton a mix of grit, experience, and offensive punch that’s been sorely lacking at times throughout the seasons. Despite missing the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign, Kane has shown to be a proven playoff performer — and that counts for something when the games get tighter and the ice gets smaller.

Trent Frederic, meanwhile, is a fascinating piece. The Oilers brought him in at the deadline to be a menace in the playoffs, and he fits that mold perfectly. He’s a north-south winger who forechecks hard, finishes checks, and can give you a little offence while being a pain in the ass to play against. If and I mean IF Frederic is healthy enough to play, having his bull in a china shop mentality the lineup would be a huge add.

As for Zach Hyman, he’s been one of the Oilers’ best forwards since signing on as a free agent four years ago. If he’s good to go, it’s hard to imagine him anywhere but back on McDavid’s wing. That said, Knoblauch has also had Hyman playing further down the lineup plenty as the year wore on, so your guess for where he slots in is as good as mine.

So, where does everybody go? That’s what I need your help figuring out.

If the Oilers are suddenly blessed with welcoming back an abundance of riches, how should Kris Knoblauch put it all together? How do you organize the group? There’s the temptation to load up with McDavid and Draisaitl together, but splitting them has long been the key to creating matchup nightmares — especially when Edmonton can roll three legitimate scoring lines.

Here’s one way it could shake out:

Skinner – McDavid – Brown
Kane – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Frederic – Nugent-Hopkins – Hyman
Janmark – Henrique – Perry

There’s room to tweak — and we know Coach Knoblauch will — but the idea is this: stack skill up top, mix sandpaper and speed through the middle six, and keep that fourth line fast and responsible. Henrique gives you versatility. If the Oilers want to get even more aggressive, you could flip Kane and Frederic or even move Hyman up to the first line and bump Brown back down into a checking role. There’s no shortage of combinations — and no excuse for not getting some secondary scoring at this point.

This series isn’t going to be easy. The Kings have done a great job of winning games at home all seasons, and the Oilers haven’t had their full lineup on the ice even once all season. Potentially, getting four regulars back could be a game-changer, but only if they’re deployed properly and get up to speed quickly.

So, dear Nation Citizens — what’s your move? How do you line things up with Kane, Frederic, Draisaitl, and Hyman all (potentially) available? Let me know in the comments section, and let’s get weird with the combos. Playoff hockey is all about adjustments — and the Oilers have some big ones to make.

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