<p>It has been 92 days since <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/07/15/where-does-viktor-arvidsson-fit-into-the-edmonton-oilers-lineup/">Viktor Arvidsson</a> and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/07/11/one-on-one-with-oilers-forward-jeff-skinner/">Jeff Skinner</a> signed with the Edmonton Oilers, and from the moment they did, many expected they&#8217;d play with Leon Draisaitl. They have practiced together for many weeks in training camp, and during Captain Skates, but tonight they will play their first game together. They are expected to play tonight and could play Wednesday and Friday as the Oilers wrap up the preseason, and expectations are this could be the best second line the Oilers have iced since Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson and Craig Simpson were a trio in 1988.</p>
<p></p>
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<p>Draisaitl is one of the four best centres in the NHL, with Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, and teammate Connor McDavid. Draisaitl&#8217;s presence automatically gives Edmonton a solid start on a second line. Now you add in Skinner, the best-scoring winger Draisaitl has ever played with, and Arvidsson who has scored 30 goals twice, 20+ goals two others seasons and last year he tallied 6-9-15 in 18 games, and this line.</p>
<p>Edmonton enters the season with four of the top-20 point producers at 5&#215;5 the past three seasons. McDavid is second with 189 points, Draisaitl is 6th with 160, Hyman is 18th with 136 and Skinner is 20th with 135. Colorado, Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay each have two, while seven other teams have one. Johnny Gaudreau was 13th.</p>
<p>Skinner is tied with Jason Robertson for 13th most 5&#215;5 goals the past three seasons. He is one of the best 5&#215;5 finishers, while Draisaitl is fifth with 102 assists and is the best backhand passer in the game. On paper it looks like a perfect match, and tonight we will see them for the first time. Draisaitl, Skinner and Arvidsson have never played together, so they might need some time to truly understand each other&#8217;s tendencies, but I expect Kris Knoblauch to be patient, because the potential of this line is immense.</p>
<p>Last season, the NHL had 129 forwards who produced 30+ points 5&#215;5. Edmonton had six, with McDavid (72), Draisaitl (55), Hyman (52), Foegele (37), Kane and RNH (30). Adam Henrique had 31 points split between Anaheim and Edmonton. He produced nine 5&#215;5 points in 22 games with Edmonton after scoring 22 in 60 games with Anaheim. He averaged 0.41 5&#215;5 PPG with EDM and 0.37 in ANA.</p>
<p>Dallas led the NHL with eight forwards producing 30+ points, while LA and Toronto each had seven, and the Oilers were fourth with six plus Henrique. Barring injury, I&#8217;d say it is a lock Skinner, Arvidsson and Draisaitl each score 30 points 5&#215;5. Could they produce 40 points?</p>
<p>Last season 54 forwards produced 40+ points. Toronto led the NHL with four, while Edmonton, Vancouver and the New York Islanders had three. I think it is more realistic to think all three could score 35 points at 5&#215;5, and they should, considering McDavid&#8217;s line will take at least half, if not more, of the toughest matchups.</p>
<p>Tonight is the first step in the process that could give the Oilers a dominant second line.</p>
<h1 class="border-b-accent text-accent mb-5 border-b-2 text-3xl font-bold">LINEUPS…</h1>
<figure id="attachment_160113" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-160113" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-160113" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl celebrates goal" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-160113" class="wp-caption-text">Apr 19, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN;The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal scored by forward Leon Draisaitl (29) during the first period against the Los Angeles Kings in game two of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure>
<h2 class="mb-5 text-xl font-bold"><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oilers…</a></h2>
<div class="mb-5">J. Skinner – Draisaitl – Arvidsson<br />
Podkolzin – McDavid – Perry<br />
Janmark – Henrique – C. Brown<br />
Caggiula – Hamblin – Pederson</div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5">Kulak – J. Brown<br />
Dermott – Stecher<br />
Gleason – Emberson</div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5">Skinner<br />
Delia</div>
<div>
<p>McDavid will play again, but he&#8217;ll have Podkolzin and Perry on his line. This is the second game this preseason that Podkolzin has lined up with Draisaitl and/or McDavid. He will start in the bottom six, but with Evander Kane out at least five months, Podkolzin is the best option to slide up in the top six if Skinner or RNH get banged up. The battle for the second and third-pairing right defenders will be on full display tonight. The Oilers are hopeful Darnell Nurse will play one, if not, both of the final two preseason games, and when he does, the logical choice will be Stecher or Emberson. I wouldn&#8217;t overlook Stecher. He has loads of experience, and he&#8217;s a competitive SOB.</p>
</div>
<div>I&#8217;d expect Stuart Skinner to play the full 60 minutes.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Noah Philp and Raphael Lavoie have had solid camps. Philp&#8217;s challenge to make the team, is that Derek Ryan played very well on Saturday and has more experience. Philp also doesn&#8217;t require waivers. I suspect he will start the season in Bakersfield, but I&#8217;d be he is in Edmonton before Christmas. Lavoie needs waivers, and if the Oilers want to carry 13 healthy forwards, he has a very good chance to make it. But if they want to start with 12, to accrue cap space, then Lavoie will be in tough against Corey Perry. Lavoie has NHL games on his resume now, and that will make him more attractive on the waiver wire, not to mention he&#8217;s scored two goal-scorer goals in the preseason.</div>
<div></div>
<div>And Mike Hoffman, not a surprise, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/30/oilers-release-mike-hoffman-from-professional-tryout/">was released from his PTO earlier today</a>.</div>
<h2><strong>Canucks&#8230;</strong></h2>
<div>The Canucks only play six preseason games, and tonight is their fifth and Friday will be their last. JT Miller, like Nurse, has yet to play a game. Quinn Hughes has only played one and neither will play tonight.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Bains-Suter-Sprong<br />
Hoglander-Raty-Lekkerimaki<br />
Di Giuseppe – Aman- Sherwood<br />
Mueller- Sasson- Smith</p>
</div>
<div>Pettersson – Juulsen<br />
Kudryastev-Desharnais<br />
Wolanin-Friedman</p>
<p>Lankinen</p></div>
<div></div>
<div>The Canucks lineup in their second-last preseason games tells you how important they view preseason games. I get it, and the fact some teams like the Oilers play eight is ridiculous.</div>
<div>The Canucks also released Sammy Blais from his PTO today.</div>
<h1>TONIGHT&#8230;</h1>
<figure id="attachment_152674" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-152674" style="width: 409px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-152674" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bydv2i2y.jpg" alt="Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers" width="409" height="409" srcset="https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bydv2i2y.jpg 409w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bydv2i2y-300x300.jpg 300w, https://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bydv2i2y-150x150.jpg 150w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 409px) 100vw, 409px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-152674" class="wp-caption-text">Photoshop: Tom Kostiuk</figcaption></figure>
<div><strong>GAME DAY PREDICTION: </strong>Oilers don&#8217;t allow five goals, a step in the right direction, especially against this lineup, and pick up their third home win of the preseason 4-2.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: </strong>Draisaitl line scores a 5&#215;5 goal.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION:</strong> Connor Brown scores his second preseason goal in as many games.</div>
<h2><strong>SPONSORED BY bet365</strong></h2>
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It has been 92 days since <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/07/15/where-does-viktor-arvidsson-fit-into-the-edmonton-oilers-lineup/">Viktor Arvidsson</a> and <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/07/11/one-on-one-with-oilers-forward-jeff-skinner/">Jeff Skinner</a> signed with the Edmonton Oilers, and from the moment they did, many expected they'd play with Leon Draisaitl. They have practiced together for many weeks in training camp, and during Captain Skates, but tonight they will play their first game together. They are expected to play tonight and could play Wednesday and Friday as the Oilers wrap up the preseason, and expectations are this could be the best second line the Oilers have iced since Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson and Craig Simpson were a trio in 1988.


<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2107" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="325"></div>
Draisaitl is one of the four best centres in the NHL, with Nathan MacKinnon, Auston Matthews, and teammate Connor McDavid. Draisaitl's presence automatically gives Edmonton a solid start on a second line. Now you add in Skinner, the best-scoring winger Draisaitl has ever played with, and Arvidsson who has scored 30 goals twice, 20+ goals two others seasons and last year he tallied 6-9-15 in 18 games, and this line.

Edmonton enters the season with four of the top-20 point producers at 5x5 the past three seasons. McDavid is second with 189 points, Draisaitl is 6th with 160, Hyman is 18th with 136 and Skinner is 20th with 135. Colorado, Toronto, Florida and Tampa Bay each have two, while seven other teams have one. Johnny Gaudreau was 13th.

Skinner is tied with Jason Robertson for 13th most 5x5 goals the past three seasons. He is one of the best 5x5 finishers, while Draisaitl is fifth with 102 assists and is the best backhand passer in the game. On paper it looks like a perfect match, and tonight we will see them for the first time. Draisaitl, Skinner and Arvidsson have never played together, so they might need some time to truly understand each other's tendencies, but I expect Kris Knoblauch to be patient, because the potential of this line is immense.

Last season, the NHL had 129 forwards who produced 30+ points 5x5. Edmonton had six, with McDavid (72), Draisaitl (55), Hyman (52), Foegele (37), Kane and RNH (30). Adam Henrique had 31 points split between Anaheim and Edmonton. He produced nine 5x5 points in 22 games with Edmonton after scoring 22 in 60 games with Anaheim. He averaged 0.41 5x5 PPG with EDM and 0.37 in ANA.

Dallas led the NHL with eight forwards producing 30+ points, while LA and Toronto each had seven, and the Oilers were fourth with six plus Henrique. Barring injury, I'd say it is a lock Skinner, Arvidsson and Draisaitl each score 30 points 5x5. Could they produce 40 points?

Last season 54 forwards produced 40+ points. Toronto led the NHL with four, while Edmonton, Vancouver and the New York Islanders had three. I think it is more realistic to think all three could score 35 points at 5x5, and they should, considering McDavid's line will take at least half, if not more, of the toughest matchups.

Tonight is the first step in the process that could give the Oilers a dominant second line.
<h1 class="border-b-accent text-accent mb-5 border-b-2 text-3xl font-bold">LINEUPS…</h1>
[caption id="attachment_160113" align="aligncenter" width="1024"]<img class="size-large wp-image-160113" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/USATSI_20500500-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="Edmonton Oilers Leon Draisaitl celebrates goal" width="1024" height="683" /> Apr 19, 2023; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN;The Edmonton Oilers celebrate a goal scored by forward Leon Draisaitl (29) during the first period against the Los Angeles Kings in game two of the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports[/caption]
<h2 class="mb-5 text-xl font-bold"><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Oilers…</a></h2>
<div class="mb-5">J. Skinner – Draisaitl – Arvidsson
Podkolzin – McDavid – Perry
Janmark – Henrique – C. Brown
Caggiula – Hamblin – Pederson</div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5">Kulak – J. Brown
Dermott – Stecher
Gleason – Emberson</div>
<div></div>
<div class="mb-5">Skinner
Delia</div>
<div>

McDavid will play again, but he'll have Podkolzin and Perry on his line. This is the second game this preseason that Podkolzin has lined up with Draisaitl and/or McDavid. He will start in the bottom six, but with Evander Kane out at least five months, Podkolzin is the best option to slide up in the top six if Skinner or RNH get banged up. The battle for the second and third-pairing right defenders will be on full display tonight. The Oilers are hopeful Darnell Nurse will play one, if not, both of the final two preseason games, and when he does, the logical choice will be Stecher or Emberson. I wouldn't overlook Stecher. He has loads of experience, and he's a competitive SOB.

</div>
<div>I'd expect Stuart Skinner to play the full 60 minutes.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Noah Philp and Raphael Lavoie have had solid camps. Philp's challenge to make the team, is that Derek Ryan played very well on Saturday and has more experience. Philp also doesn't require waivers. I suspect he will start the season in Bakersfield, but I'd be he is in Edmonton before Christmas. Lavoie needs waivers, and if the Oilers want to carry 13 healthy forwards, he has a very good chance to make it. But if they want to start with 12, to accrue cap space, then Lavoie will be in tough against Corey Perry. Lavoie has NHL games on his resume now, and that will make him more attractive on the waiver wire, not to mention he's scored two goal-scorer goals in the preseason.</div>
<div></div>
<div>And Mike Hoffman, not a surprise, <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/30/oilers-release-mike-hoffman-from-professional-tryout/">was released from his PTO earlier today</a>.</div>
<h2><strong>Canucks...</strong></h2>
<div>The Canucks only play six preseason games, and tonight is their fifth and Friday will be their last. JT Miller, like Nurse, has yet to play a game. Quinn Hughes has only played one and neither will play tonight.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Bains-Suter-Sprong
Hoglander-Raty-Lekkerimaki
Di Giuseppe – Aman- Sherwood
Mueller- Sasson- Smith

</div>
<div>Pettersson – Juulsen
Kudryastev-Desharnais
Wolanin-Friedman

Lankinen</div>
<div></div>
<div>The Canucks lineup in their second-last preseason games tells you how important they view preseason games. I get it, and the fact some teams like the Oilers play eight is ridiculous.</div>
<div>The Canucks also released Sammy Blais from his PTO today.</div>
<h1>TONIGHT...</h1>
[caption id="attachment_152674" align="aligncenter" width="409"]<img class="size-full wp-image-152674" src="http://publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Bydv2i2y.jpg" alt="Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers" width="409" height="409" /> Photoshop: Tom Kostiuk[/caption]

<div><strong>GAME DAY PREDICTION: </strong>Oilers don't allow five goals, a step in the right direction, especially against this lineup, and pick up their third home win of the preseason 4-2.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION: </strong>Draisaitl line scores a 5x5 goal.</div>
<div></div>
<div><strong>NOT-SO-OBVIOUS GAME DAY PREDICTION:</strong> Connor Brown scores his second preseason goal in as many games.</div>
<h2><strong>SPONSORED BY bet365</strong></h2>
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