Kris Knoblauch didn’t exactly plan for Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl, and Matt Savoie to become his second line against the Seattle Kraken, and now the Winnipeg Jets. But when you’ve already cycled through 28 different forward combinations in your first 13 games, you’re not so much making calculated decisions as you are reacting to whatever injuries are thrown your way.

Necessity has a funny way of working out.

Podkolzin is on pace for a career-best season with 11 points through 28 games, averaging 15:18 of ice time per game — a significant jump from last season’s 13:13. Savoie has five goals and nine points in 28 games, with four points coming in his last five games. After a slow start to the season, the 21-year-old rookie is finding his groove at exactly the right time.

But what’s happening on the ice goes beyond statistics. Podkolzin brings the kind of relentless forechecking that creates chaos in the offensive zone. He’s winning puck battles, generating turnovers, forchecking, and crashing the net with purpose. Against Seattle on December 4, he scored from a near-impossible angle, barreling down on the goaltender and ripping one high. You know, the basics.

“Last year, we loved Pods,” began Knoblauch. “(The) one fault that I would have about his game was just that he didn’t have a shot mentality. He has a good shot, but he was just hesitant to fire away. And coming to camp this year, he definitely wanted to score goals, and I feel like he’s always in a position that he wants to fire that puck at the net, and now he’s starting to get to the net and get available so we can get those tip goals, those rebounds, stuff that Hyman has been doing so often.”

Savoie, meanwhile, is learning what it takes to produce in this league. Playing with Draisaitl, he scored twice against the Kraken — once shorthanded and once on the power play — in 19:41 of ice time.

“Confidence is huge,” explained Savoie. “I went through it when I was 15 in the Western League. I didn’t score it all that year. I played, I think, 24 games, and didn’t get on the sheets, and then the next year, you get one, you get two, you build off that, it starts to flow and be a waterfall effect. So hoping that’s the case here.”

And then there’s Draisaitl, who’s shown throughout his career that he can drive his own line without needing Connor McDavid beside him. Having a winger like Podkolzin who does the dirty work around the net and a skilled playmaker like Savoie who can exploit space gives Draisaitl the kind of complementary pieces that makes an elite center go from great to greater.

And then there’s timing. The Oilers have struggled to find offensive consistency this season, sitting at 12-11-5 and fighting to climb back into a playoff position every game as of late. Having a legitimate second line that can produce takes pressure off the top unit and makes line matching another beast in and of itself.

What started as an adjustment born from injuries and inconsistency has turned into something worth keeping. The chemistry isn’t forced — it’s organic. Podkolzin’s grit complements Savoie’s skill, and both benefit from playing alongside one of the league’s best playmakers. They’re not just filling a gap in the lineup anymore; they’re becoming a legitimate unit.

What makes this line potentially special isn’t just that it’s working now — it’s that they haven’t peaked yet. Podkolzin is still finding his confidence. Savoie is still adjusting to the NHL game. The chemistry is there, but it’s still developing. That’s what should get people excited, because what we’re seeing now might just be the beginning.

The Oilers have always been a top-heavy team, built around McDavid and Draisaitl. But splitting those two stars and building a second line that can actually threaten defence changes things. It means better matchups. It means depth scoring when the top line is contained. It means the kind of balanced attack that puts them in right playoff position.

Knoblauch has taken heat for his constant line juggling this season, and some of that criticism has been fair. But sometimes you stumble into something good while you’re just trying to survive the grind of an NHL season. Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Savoie wasn’t the plan, but it’s working. And in a season where the Oilers need every break they can get, that’s more than enough reason to stick with it. But four goals sure helped too.

RNH – McDavid – Hyman

Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Savoie

Mangiapane – Henrique – Janmark

Frederic – Lazar – Tomasek

Ekholm – Bouchard

Nurse – Regula

Kulak – Emberson

Skinner