

We're about to find out a lot about the Edmonton Oilers.
Or, we might learn nothing at all. What can you take away from a team missing not only its top two centers, but two of the top three players in the world? Does their performance without them say something about the rest of the roster, or does everything get thrown out because the circumstances are just so unusual?
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Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are injured and might not be back in the lineup for another week. This is how the Oilers will line up without their two foundational superstars against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Podkolzin - RNH - Arvidsson
Perry - Henrique - Hyman
Skinner - Janmark - Brown
Jones - Ryan - Kapanen
Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Walman
Kulak - Stecher
Klingberg - Emberson
Skinner
Pickard
The erstwhile third line of Vasily Podkolzin, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Viktor Arvidsson gets its second promotion in as many games as they'll likely be leaned on heavily by Kris Knoblauch. The second line is built to win puck battles down low and score from just outside the crease, while Jeff Skinner will be forced to act as a one-man offense on the third line.
Luckily, the Oilers' elite blueline is at full strength, and fully capable of carrying the offense for a game or two. It'll be a lot harder without McDavid and Draisaitl to pass to, but all six defensemen have some offensive pop and are comfortable joining, or even leading, the rush. They'll need to be sharp at both ends of the ice on Saturday night.
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This next week will be fascinating. It would be very encouraging if the Oilers could hunker down and eke out some wins without their twin engines, but it's hard to get too upset if they struggle without McDavid and Draisaitl.
It's not exactly a win-win, and the games they'll play without their superstars matter just as much in the standings as any other, but the stakes are relatively low this week. As long as McDavid and Draisaitl come back healthy, the Oilers will be just fine.
We'll leave you with a little bit of history, and a chance to Remember Some Guys. Below is the Oilers' lineup from the last time neither McDavid nor Draisaitl were available, the last game of the 2014-15 regular season.
Remember, Oilers fans, it could always be worse.
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