The lineup Kris Knoblauch is rolling out isn’t just unconventional — it’s borderline experimental. And not in the fun, exciting way. More in the “hold on tight and hope for the best” way.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is back on the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman. Cool. Great. That works. Jack Roslovic is centring the second line with Isaac Howard and Matthew Savoie. Okay, not bad. That’s more responsibility than Howard and Savoie are particularly used to while playing together, but it had to happen eventually. They’re talented, they can handle it, and this is a chance to see what they’ve got.

Then things start getting rough.

Your third line is Mattias Janmark, Curtis Lazar, and Andrew Mangiapane. That’s an NHL fourth line at best. Janmark and Lazar are solid depth pieces who bring energy and can kill penalties, but they’re not scoring threats. Mangiapane has been invisible most of the season, but this might be the added responsibility he’s looking for. This trio isn’t going to generate much offence, and asking them to play third-line minutes against legitimate NHL players is a tall order.

Then things get really rough.

Vasily Podkolzin, Trent Frederic, and Alec Regula make up your fourth line. Yes, that Regula — the same one who played defence last game and has played as a defenseman his entire career. He’s now skating as a forward because the Oilers literally don’t have enough healthy bodies to fill out the lineup properly.

So yeah, tonight’s going to be a rough ride. Get ready.

But here’s the truth: it’s what has to be done. Kasperi Kapanen is out for a little longer with another injury. Leon Draisaitl is still tending to a personal matter and should be given all the time he needs — family comes first, always. The Oilers are piecing together a lineup from whoever’s available, and unfortunately, that means rolling with depth that’s stretched far beyond where it should be.

This is only for a few games. Draisaitl will be back. Kapanen will eventually get healthy. The lineup will return to something resembling normalcy. But man, these are going to be rough few games.

The Penguins aren’t a powerhouse, but they’re still an NHL team with capable players who will exploit mismatches. And the Oilers have plenty of those tonight. The third and fourth lines are going to get attacked. The Oilers’ top two lines will need to carry the offensive load, and the defence will need to be sharp because there’s not much support in front of them.

McDavid and Hyman can only do so much. Roslovic, Howard, and Savoie will need to step up and contribute offensively because the bottom six isn’t built to score right now. And the goaltending — whoever starts — will need to be excellent because there’s going to be defensive breakdowns.

It’s not ideal. It’s not sustainable. But it’s temporary. The Oilers just need to survive these few games, grab whatever points they can, and wait for reinforcements to return.

So buckle up, Oilers fans. Tonight’s going to be bumpy. But at least it won’t last forever.