The Edmonton Oilers are finding their rhythm, but there's still a serious concern with the roster, one that is getting hard to ignore. Allan Mitchell’s latest breakdown [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6922946/2025/12/29/edmonton-oilers-lineup-lines-stats-2025/] highlights a problem that has been plaguing the Oilers this season: the gap between Edmonton’s top six and bottom six is massive. It costs the team games early in the season, and it will likely be a factor in the playoffs if the discrepancy isn't sorted out. At the top, the Oilers are elite. When Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are driving play, few teams can stop them. That leads to top-six points and a power play that is the league's best. Whether they’re together or apart, the goals come, the possession is strong, and the Oilers look like a contender. That’s not the issue. The problem shows up the moment those two aren’t on the ice. Related: NHL Rumors: 2 Trade Fits For Oilers' Andrew Mangiapane [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news/nhl-rumors-2-trade-fits-for-oilers-andrew-mangiapane] According to Mitchell’s data, when McDavid and Draisaitl are off, Edmonton’s offense falls off a cliff. The Oilers score just over one goal per 60 minutes and have a brutal goal share. That’s not just “below average” — that’s a real concern. The frustrating part is that the bottom six isn’t bleeding chances defensively. They’re actually holding up fine in their own end. What’s missing is pushback, offense, and identity. Over the past couple of seasons, the Oilers have taken some swings and missed. Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson were the two forwards last season who didn't work out. This season, it's been Andrew Mangiapane and Trent Frederic. Whether it's a lack of ice time or chemistry, there's a pattern emerging. The Oilers used to have third lines that could skate, hit, defend, and score just enough to tilt a series. Mitchell points to Todd Marchant–Ethan Moreau–Mike Grier. He argues for Michael Peca, Raffi Torres, and Fernando Pisani. Those lines didn’t just survive playoff hockey — they thrived in it. THE OILERS BOTTOM SIX DOESN'T CONCERN ANYONE Outside of the fact that the lines don't get enough ice time to really impact a game, even if they did, it's hard to imagine how much it would matter. Oilers third line tries to get scrappy vs Seattle: © Walter Tychnowicz Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/2044ad36-b0d7-40f5-9ac9-8edd9eba0b78.jpeg] Oilers third line tries to get scrappy vs Seattle: © Walter Tychnowicz Imagn Images Right now, Edmonton’s depth lines survive shifts but don’t threaten anyone. Teams know they can lean into the Oilers physically, wear down the stars, and face very little danger from the rest of the lineup. Frederic has provided no pushback. Adam Henrique has brought next to nothing offensively. Max Jones scored on Monday, but he's played all of seven NHL games this season. The Oilers tried Jack Roslovic as a third-line center, but the reality is, he's a top-six player if he's going to be effective. The solution isn’t complicated — it’s just hard. Edmonton actually has the makings of a solid fourth line. Some of it is just stuck on the third line. The Oilers need a legitimate third line that can skate, hit, defend, and score occasionally. Whether that comes from internal growth or trade, standing pat isn’t an option. Because if the Oilers go into another playoff run this top-heavy, they're going to overwork the best players on the roster, and that's not going to pan out as they're hoping. Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/] team site to never miss the latest news [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/latest-news], game-day [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/game-day] coverage, and more [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/edmonton-oilers/players]. Add us to your Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwn-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] favourites, and never miss a story.
