Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch hinted that he was going to try out different lines as the team gets set for the 2025-26 season. Thursday's skate proved he wasn't kidding.

The lines for practice include recently-signed UFA David Tomasek skating alongside Connor McDavid and Andrew Mangiapane. This is a massive opportunity for both players, but Tomasek's slotting is perhaps the bigger of the two surprises.

GM Stan Bowman praised Tomasek in the media availability on Wednesday. That said, he praised his ability as a center, hinting that he would potentially pivot a third line. Bowman noted, "I think David Tomasek has been a very good centre, and he can play wing. I think he's probably more of a natural centre, and he's a righty, which we don't have a lot of those."

The skate on Thursday has the Oilers trying him out as a winger.

Bowman added:

"David has looked very good in the captain’s skates, in which I try not to put too much positive or negative in that, but I think it does stand out when you watch him. He can shoot the puck. I'm not surprised that he led the Swedish League in goalscoring. He's got a knack for getting open. He's got the ability to get the puck off his stick quickly and in the net, so I think that's an intriguing option for us."

Knoblauch seems to like the idea of a shooter on McDavid's wing, at least early on.

Oilers' Early 2025-26 Season Projections: The Forwards

If the Oilers believe Tomasek has offensive flair and can play well alongside elite talent, Edmonton could have a diamond in the rough.

Perhaps we should have seen this coming. Bowman did tease the idea, noting, "He could be a good winger for one of the top centres too, so I think we are going to see how that looks over the next two weeks here."

The rest of the lines included Adam Henrique with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Matt Savoie. There was also Max Jones with Noah Philp and Curtis Lazar. Several players were not on the ice, so it's important not to read too much into the combinations.

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