Evander Kane (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images) [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/8c50e0d3-8772-4f63-ba91-bc1592cd3260.jpeg] Evander Kane (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images) When the Edmonton Oilers ice their 2024-25 playoff lineup, it could look much different than the roster looks right now. Both Connor McDavid [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/game-day/oilers-key-player-grades-mcdavid-exits-in-ot-loss-to-jets?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fedmonton-oilers%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dmcdavid%26domainName%3Dthehockeynews.com%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results] and Leon Draisaitl will soon be back in the lineup — both are nursing minor injuries, but Draisaitl returns Saturday versus the Calgary Flames — but newly acquired Trent Frederic will be hopefully ready before mid-April, and LTIR forward Evander Kane should be set for playoff action. Can the Los Angeles Kings stay ahead of the injury-ridden Oilers in the Pacific Division standings? Edmonton's forward makeup will change with the addition of four key forwards. The team will have to make some difficult decisions, pulling ready-to-go forwards and potentially contributing pieces. THE TEAM WILL BE ADDING TOUGHNESS Both Kane and Frederic will bring a more physical element to the team, but how effective either will be isn’t clear. For Frederic, he hasn’t played a single game with the Oilers since coming over from the Boston Bruins in a trade the Oilers made at the deadline [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/tgmiObhelBpuqM1ifAha?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fedmonton-oilers%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dtrent%2520frederic%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results]. The assumption is that a healthy Frederic will pick up where he left off with the Bruins, but a new team and a new environment could bring new challenges, and it may take some time for Frederic to find chemistry with other Oilers forwards. As for Kane, he’s missed the entire season. He’s a gifted scorer who brings an edge and he’s played well after long stints away before. Will it work out this time around? If Frederic and Kane can find their games, and rather quickly, they will be important as the intensity and physicality of playoff games ramp up. The Oilers still rank last in the NHL for hits. They have just 1047 on the season, while the Florida Panthers – Edmonton’s Stanley Cup Final opponent from last season – have nearly double the Oilers' hit count (2083). WHO COMES OUT OF THE LINEUP? With Frederic and Kane both being top-nine guys and McDavid and Draisaitl clearly in the top six, there will be some line juggling. In some cases, the top-nine will likely drop down, with some bottom-line forwards needing to come out. Max Jones is likely the first candidate to come out. He was added with Frederic in the trade with the Bruins and wasn’t likely to be a regular. Injuries and some solid play have allowed Jones to play some decent minutes, but he’s arguably a less-skilled forechecker, so his minutes can and will be replaced by one of Frederic or Kane. Kasperi Kapanen is another player who could be the odd man out. Picked up earlier this season via waivers, he has added speed to the Oilers' lineup. But with just five goals and 11 points in 47 games, he’s not scoring enough to be an effective goal producer, and he doesn’t hit enough or kill penalties. There isn’t a specific element he brings that couldn’t be upgraded with any one of the four players currently out of the lineup. JEFF SKINNER HAS CHANGED THE NARRATIVE Just a few weeks ago, Jeff Skinner would have been the obvious choice to come out of the lineup based on how often he was made a healthy scratch. However, without Edmonton’s two top stars, Skinner’s minutes have shot up, and he’s stepping up [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/players/jeff-skinner-its-your-time-to-shine-now?backLinkUrl=%2Fbbs%2Fedmonton-oilers%2Fsearch%2Fposts%3Fq%3Dskinner%26domainName%3Dthehockeynews.com%26sortBy%3DpublishTime%26range%3DallTime&backLinkLabel=Back%20to%20search%20results] with perfect timing. In his last four games, Skinner has averaged 17:03 minutes on the ice. In those four games, he’s got three goals, two of which were scored in the Oilers' 4-3 overtime loss to the Jets on March 20. Not only is he showing that he should remain in the lineup, but keeping him in the top six (top nine at a minimum) is an obvious choice. OILERS FORWARD CORE COULD GO FROM QUESTIONABLE TO A STRENGTH One of the knocks on the Oilers this season was how big a swing they took in the summer with the signings of Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. The chemistry wasn’t there early and both players looked like a miss. They’ve since picked up their play, as have other forwards who were struggling early. If those players pick up their production levels and Kane and Frederic can impact games, the Oilers' forward group looks strong. Depending on whether Frederic plays center or wing, McDavid, Hyman, and Nugent-Hopkins could make up the first line. Draisaitl, Skinner, and Arvidsson could be line two. And Frederic could center Kane and Connor Brown, while Henrique could be the pivot for Corey Perry and Mattias Janmark. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
