Kris Knoblauch shakes up roster again, promotes 4th liner to top 6
It's game day Oilers Nation - the boys are visiting Texas for a thrilling western conference final rematch against the Dallas Stars.
The Oilers will be looking to even up their record against a red hot Dallas Stars team who will be seeking revenge after being ousted by the Oilers in the 2024 Stanley Cup finals.
According to Liam McCormick from Oilers Daily, The Oilers announced their lineup directly on social media today. Depth forward Mattias Janmark is getting the promotion to second line left wing, alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Victor Arvidsson. Vasily Podkolzin was previously in that spot, who has now been bumped down to the fourth line. On defence, Troy Stecher is sticking in the top four spot. Stuart Skinner will be starting in net.
Podkolzin - Ryan - Perry
Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Emberson
Skinner
Pickard
Coach Knoblauch may just want to get a good look at all his options as the explanation for switching Janmark and Podkolzin, but the older winger may not be the best fit on that line right now. Nugent-Hopkins is struggling to generate offence on his own, and Victor Arvidsson hasn't found his groove yet either.
All eyes will be on Stuart Skinner who has been struggling between the pipes so far for the Edmonton Oilers. Having a good performance against a team like Dallas will undoubtedly give him some extra confidence moving forward.
Another aspect of the Oilers fans will be paying close attention to is their power play. The Oilers PP is still considered one of the more formidable special teams units in the NHL, but hasn't been connecting as of yet.
Kris Knoblauch spoke to the media, hinting that the team's elite offensive players are looking disjointed and haven't been connecting as they should.
