This in from Tony Brar of the Oilers, news that Zach Hyman missed practice this morning, but that newcomer Viktor Arvidsson was back and skating on the top line, with fellow big name veteran Jeff Skinner demoted to the fourth line.
EDM lines & pairings at Tuesday’s practice:
• No Hyman* on the ice
RNH – McDavid – Arvidsson*
Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Kapanen
Janmark – Henrique – Brown
Skinner – Ryan – Perry
Ekholm – Bouchard
Nurse – Kulak
Stecher – Emberson
Skinner
Pickard
My take
1. No surprise to see Hyman missing from practice. After getting his nose pulverized by a deflected Bouch Bomb, he could use a rest.
2. The two big name wingers signed by the Oilers this summer, Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, have not had the start they would have hoped for in their Edmonton careers, and it’s not clear how things will play out over time. They were brought in to be Leon Draisaitl’s wingers, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Hyman teaming up with McDavid.
In October, Arvidsson played solid two-way hockey with Draisaitl, even though the two didn’t connect much on scoring plays, but then went out with a mystery ailment that has kept him out more than a month. Now he’s (tentatively) skating on the top line.
Wherever Arvidsson ends up in the line-up, it’s great news that he’s back and rolling with his regular teammates for now, especially having missed so much time and so many games in previous seasons.
3. Skinner? He’s flashed offensive talent, but he’s struggled immensely on defence and has been moved down from the second line, to the third, and now the fourth. Where will be end up? One more demotion and he’s in the press box.
He’s a sniper who didn’t fit well with with Draisaitl and Arvidsson, two other players who like to shoot the puck.
Draisaitl is thriving with two grinding wingers, fast Kasperi Kapanen and rugged Vasili Podkolzin. Kapanen and Podkolzin might not end up playing with Drai long-term, but why would coach Kris Knoblauch break them up just now? They’re all thriving.
4. The third line of Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark and Connor Brown is made up of solid checkers. Does Skinner fit on that line? Not if his defence does not improve dramatically.
5. I could see Skinner getting a shot with McDavid and Hyman. That might work. RNH’s defence hasn’t been great either and the top line might well use a shooter as opposed to a passer like RNH. If RNH’s two-way play does not pick up, Skinner could well get a shot on the big line.
6. Interesting to see that Brett Kulak and Darnell Nurse practiced together. Could Edmonton move away from juggling Kulak with Nurse and Emberson to more a full-time job on the second pairing with Nurse? It would having two lefties in Kulak and Nurse on the second pairing and two righties, Stecher and Emberson, on the third pairing. It might not be ideal, but it might well work best for the Oilers.
7. Bouchard and Ekholm have struggled defensively in the past month. For now, they’re not clicking as they did last season. But that could change fast, given the skill and competitiveness of both top-pairing players.
At the Cult
STAPLES: Player grades in loss to Florida
Staples on politics
The biggest loser out of Freeland crisis? Not Trudeau or Singh. It’s you and me
