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Oilers Thoughts: Knoblauch spot-on with Kapanen, McDavid’s double-digit shots, Hutson update, Ingram bounce back, and the new third line
Edmonton Oilers Jack Roslovic
Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images
Sean Panganiban
Jan 7, 2026, 17:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 7, 2026, 17:08 EST
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The definition of frustration is the feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially when you can’t change or achieve something — a feeling many fans in Oil Country know all too well with Kris Knoblauch’s constant line shuffling as of late.
But Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators, that frustration turned to joy, as the head coach got a couple of line combinations just right. In this edition of Oilers Thoughts, we’ll dive into those lines, Connor McDavid’s shot mentality, Quinn Hutson continuing his hot streak, and Connor Ingram bouncing back after a rough New Year’s Eve performance.

Knoblauch was spot-on in placing Kasperi Kapanen on the second line

Kasperi Kapanen was set to make his return to the lineup against the Nashville Predators, and after nearly three months away from game action, I would’ve expected him to start in the bottom six to get his legs under him.
Yet, Bob Stauffer released the line combinations from practice last Sunday, showing Kapanen on the second line with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin to start the game against the Predators.
My initial thought was, ‘Wait… what?’ But after a couple of days to think it over and figure out the logic behind it, my reaction shifted from surprise to genuine intrigue, remembering that the combination of that trio had worked before, and had some successful moments last playoffs.
Kapanen sat out most of last playoffs until he was inserted into the lineup in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round. Podkolzin, Draisaitl, and Kapanen played together the last two games of the series versus Vegas, outshooting them 11–5, and that trio came up huge in Game 5, producing the lone goal, with Kapanen scoring his signature goal in Oilers’ silks — tucking home the game-winner in overtime to move on to the next round.
And you have to give credit where it’s due — despite the line blender being on max speed as of late, the head coach went back to a hunch that worked before, putting Kapanen back on Draisaitl’s line against the Preds. Line two combined for two goals, with Kapanen receiving a pass from Draisaitl in the second period and getting off a perfect shot… or a lucky whiff, scoring his first of the season. Kapanen then returned the favour, finding his centerman in the third period, and Draisaitl buried it en route to a 6–2 win.
Overall, the trio played 12:55 together, scored two goals, and held a 4–3 edge in high-danger chances. It’s unlikely this line will stay hot long-term, but as we’ve seen before, it’s a solid combination to throw together when the team needs a second-line jolt. Moreover, the timing couldn’t have been better. Draisaitl needed a big game, having struggled at five-on-five lately, producing just one even-strength point in the past four games before last game.

Mcdavid reaches double digits in shots on goal for second time ever

We’ve spent over ten years watching Connor McDavid do phenomenal things in an Oilers uniform, and what’s almost even more impressive is that he’s still finding ways to raise the bar.
After scoring a hat trick against Nashville with some pretty-looking goals that my brain files under ‘visually satisfying,’ he now sits first in the league with 75 points, and one stat that really stood out from that game was that he fired ten shots on the Predators’ net. Simply put, the captain is letting the shots fly.
McDavid said postgame after his three-goal performance, “You guys like to talk about me wanting to shoot the puck. I’ve said I wanted to shoot the puck, and I’m shooting the puck.” And shoot it he did, reaching double digits in shots for just the second time in his NHL career. The only other instance came on April 1, 2022, against the St. Louis Blues, when he registered 11 shots, scored twice, and helped the Oilers to a 6–5 overtime win.

Connor Ingram follows bounce-back pattern after sub-.800 sv% performance

Oilers’ netminder Connor Ingram put up a stinker against the Boston Bruins on New Year’s Eve, posting an underwhelming .793 SV% in a 6-2 loss. Following that poor outing, I noticed a pattern he’s shown over the last two and a half years: after posting a sub-.800 SV%, he tends to bounce back rather strongly, particularly in the second game following the rough night, posting the following:
– Oct. 24, 2023: .667 SV% → next two games: .967, .933
– Dec. 19, 2023: .500 SV% → next two games: .846, 1.000
– Feb. 8, 2024: .500 SV% → next two games: .865, .933
– Nov. 18, 2024: .692 SV% → next two games: .938, .917
– Nov. 2, 2025 (AHL): .750 SV% → next two games: .895, .926
Usually, Ingram’s biggest rebound comes in the second game after the poor outing. But against Nashville, he didn’t wait: after a sub-.800 performance on New Year’s Eve, he bounced back right away, stopping 24 of 26 shots for a .923 SV% against the Predators. Having said that, considering his usual pattern of posting a big game in the second outing after a bad one, I’m really looking forward to his next game.
On that note, bouncing back after a very bad game isn’t a given. For some netminders, it could derail them and lead to a streak of poor performances. But Ingram has consistently shown the mental mindset to shake off a bad game and move on.

Quinn Hutson not letting call-ups and send-downs affect his game

Quinn Hutson had a three-game stint with the Oilers last December, scored his first NHL goal, was sent back down, got called up in early January, played one game against the Philadelphia Flyers, and was sent right back down to the AHL. Call me a worrywart, and maybe it’s because I have lingering nerves from how the Oilers have mishandled young players before, but I was a little concerned about Hutson’s recent demotion.
I wondered about thoughts he may have had while sitting on the plane back to Bakersfield, like, ‘What else do I have to do to stick with the big club? Or why did Howard stay in the NHL and not me?’ Those thoughts came to mind, and I felt that another demotion might risk slowing his momentum. But boy, am I glad Hutson has proven me wrong.
Hutson picked up exactly where he left off. In his first game back with the Bakersfield Condors, he scored two goals and added an assist, finishing with three points on the night. That performance moved him into a tie for first in the league in goals (21) and into a tie for third in points overall. That said, I’m very glad he’s continued his hot streak, and looking forward to seeing the 23-year-old get an extended look with the big club at some point. He’s earned it.

Does the Isaac Howard–Jack Roslovic–Matt Savoie line have real potential?

Knoblauch created ‘the Kid line’ of Isaac Howard, Matt Savoie, and Quinn Hutson and deployed them against the Flyers. They couldn’t gain traction, gave up a goal after being placed in a tough defensive-zone draw, and the experiment was short-lived when Hutson was sent back down to the AHL to make room for Kapanen’s return.
After the initial experiment didn’t work and an unfortunate injury to Adam Henrique, Knoblauch whipped together a new concoction against Nashville — a line that showed a lot of promise. The Isaac Howard–Jack Roslovic–Matt Savoie line was born.
The trio controlled play each time they were on the ice, and they were buzzing, particularly Howard. Having scored 10 goals in 16 games in his recent AHL stint, he came into the game against the Preds with the hot stick but played setup man last game, creating scoring opportunities for his linemates. On one play in particular, he found Savoie all alone in front, and the line could’ve generated at least a couple of goals if they had capitalized.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the trio played 5:52 together and posted a 75% Corsi, 100% SF%, 100% xGF%, 100% HDCF%, and 75% SCF% — stellar underlying metrics, doing everything except actually scoring.
That said, I’m not sure if this line is a long-term solution, but for the near future, I feel it has potential — you have a confident Howard, who seems to have chemistry with Savoie, who is defensively savvy, paired with a shifty player down the middle in Roslovic, who has a calming presence and fires the puck with ease. Three offensively minded players who can think the game the same way. The potential is there.
Additionally, Knoblauch praised the trio postgame against Nashville, saying, “Those three were good, we’ll most likely keep those three together and see what they can build.” That said, I think I speak for most of Oil Country when I say this… give them a longer look, Knobby! Looking ahead, I’m excited to see them play together next game against the Winnipeg Jets, Roslovic’s former team, who are 0-6-4 in their last ten games.

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