Oilers Reveal New Lines For Split-Squad Double Header Against Flames
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl make their pre-season debuts in Edmonton while Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson hit the ice in Calgary.
Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports - Oilers Reveal New Lines For Split-Squad Double Header Against FlamesThe season's first Battle of Alberta will be two for the price of one, as the Oilers and Flames will face off in a pair of split-squad games tonight.
This will mark the first game action this season for many Oilers regulars after a prospect-heavy lineup won on Sunday night against Winnipeg. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will stay in Edmonton, along with the rest of the top powerplay unit.
Kris Knoblauch said in his post-game press conference last night that getting the powerplay units as much time together as possible is a key goal for the preseason. The team's top five-man unit from last season is back together tonight, while Draisaitl will be flanked by Vasily Podkolzin and Raphael Lavoie, both coming off impressive games against Winnipeg. This could serve as an audition for both wingers in case of an injury to either Jeff Skinner or Viktor Arvidsson during the season.
Elsewhere on the home roster, big centre Noah Philp gets a shot next to veteran Corey Perry. The 26-year-old Philp is returning from a long absence after taking last season off, but has stood out in training camp and could be in the mix for the fourth-line centre spot. A good game next to Perry would go a long way towards winning him that spot.
Olivier Rodrigue will get the start in net, after making six saves on seven shots while sharing the net with Collin Delia on Sunday.
Three hours down the road in Calgary, we'll get our first look at Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson in blue and orange. They'll be joined by Adam Henrique, who's penciled in as the third line centre heading into the season.
Sam O'Reilly will get the chance to build on his first-star performance against Winnipeg, next to top prospect Matt Savoie and Bakersfield returnee Drake Caggiula. As the team's top two prospects, it will be fascinating to see if O'Reilly and Savoie can find some chemistry together.
The top pairing of Travis Dermott and Josh Brown are familiar with each other, having played 171 minutes together last season in Arizona. Brown in particular looked shaky in Sunday's game against Winnipeg.
Cam Dineen, another standout from the pre-season opener, draws into the lineup next to Troy Stecher, as a possible top pairing for the Bakersfield Condors. Stecher could still win the sixth defenceman spot next to Brett Kulak, especially if Brown falters.
In the crease will stand Collin Delia, who picked up the win with 11 saves on 12 shots in the second half against the Jets.
Both rosters will face off against similarly built Flames squads. Jonathan Huberdeau and Rasmus Andersson will be joined by prospect Matthew Coronato and first-year-Flame Anthony Mantha in Edmonton. In Calgary, we'll see Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman, and former Oiler Tyson Barrie, who's in camp on a PTO.
The Flames will be backstopped by AHLer Devin Cooley in Edmonton, while big league backup Dan Vladar gets the start in Calgary.
The Edmonton game will be aired on Oilers+, while the Calgary game will be streaming for free on the Flames website. Both games get underway at 7:00 PM tonight.
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