After a rough start to the season, the Oilers have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and look to be back on track. There are still some issues with this roster that will need to be addressed prior to the trade deadline but right now the Edmonton Oilers are looking like a dangerous and competent playoff team. Whether they are a Cup contender remains to be seen.

One issue that hasn't gotten much attention outside of the Oilers market is some of the injuries Edmonton has had to deal with through the first 20+ games. Connor McDavid, Darnell Nurse, Victor Arvidsson, and Zach Hyman have all missed some games early in the season. This isn't an excuse for any poor play but we have not seen this team playing at their best with a full roster yet this season.

Today I wanted to take a look at the Oilers healthy roster and come up with some likely combos.

LINE 1 OPTION 1

RNH-McDavid-Hyman - Tried and tested last season and the most likely option when everyone is healthy. RNH has struggled to produce this season and it might be time to try him somewhere else.

LINE 1 OPTION 2

Skinner-McDavid-Hyman - At some point it is in the best interest for the Oilers to get Jeff Skinner going. If RNH continues to not produce being gifted top line minutes than I would like to see Skinner get more than a two game look with McDavid.

LINE 1 OPTION 3

RNH-McDavid-Kapanen - Picked up on waivers, Kapanen was added to bring some much needed speed into the Oilers top nine. He has played the past couple games with McDavid and scored his first goal as an Oiler against the Avs. If this trio can continue to produce than Knoblauch might stick with this one for a bit.

LINE 2 OPTION 1

Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Arvidsson - This seems like the obvious line once Arvidsson is back. Podkolzin and Draisaitl have created some excellent chemistry and while he wasn't scoring, Arvidsson was doing some good things with Draisaitl as well. I really don't see another line being deployed when everyone is healthy.

LINE 3 OPTION 1

Skinner-Henrique-Kapanen - The third line is where things could be getting nutty. This option gives the Oilers a veteran third line that should have some scoring capabilities, decent back checking and some added speed with the addition of Kapanen.

LINE 3 OPTION 2

RNH-Henrique-Kapanen - You could swap RNH and Henrique but I think Henrique is better equipped to be a centre and Nuge as a winger. This is a line that could feast on lesser competition in terms of puck control and defensive acumen but would need at least one of these players to score at a far greater pace than they have this season.

LINE 3 OPTION 3

Skinner-Henrique-Hyman - This is less of a Zach Hyman demotion and more a question on his health and where his game is at once he returns to the lineup. Having Skinner firing shots on net with Hyman working his usual net front office could give the Oilers a legitimate scoring third line.

LINE 4 OPTION 1

Janmark-Ryan-Perry - The current fourth line. Janmark has actually been a solid 5 on 5 producer this season with limited minutes and Corey Perry has found ways to make an impact on a regular basis as well. The glaring spot on this line is Derek Ryan who simply looks like he doesn't have the legs anymore.

LINE 4 OPTION 2

Janmark-Kemp-Brown Swapping the two oldest players on the lineup for the young Kemp and Brown gives this line some new energy. Kemp looked great in training camp and if it's obvious Ryan isn't going to be your regular 4th line centre in the playoffs the team should be trying other options out.

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Obviously there are plenty more combinations that could be looked at but I feel fairly confident that this describes the options that give different styles of play. Personally, this is the forward core that I would run with a healthy roster:

Skinner-McDavid-Hyman
Podkolzin-Draisaitl-Arvidsson
RNH-Henrique-Kapanen
Janmark-Kemp-Brown
Ryan/Perry

Ekholm-Bouchard
Nurse-Stecher
Kulak-Emberson

Skinner

Perry and Ryan are on the outside and can slot in from time to time to keep the roster fresh. This roster will showcase whether or not Jeff Skinner still can produce and if the team should be looking to sell him at the deadline, particularly if Kane is returning.

What does your healthy Oilers roster look like?

Thanks for reading.

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