When healthy New linup idea

An MVP playing with a 3rd liner and a 4th liner, an absolute travesty

It is what it is until next year at least.

I am genuinely curious why this fanbase equates depth with diluting the offense to points beyond piss-weak.

Until Edmonton has a chorus of genuine top-six wingers we will never see RNH back as the #3C. This is not a bad thing. His most productive years have come with him alongside Connor or Leon: sometimes good players just play well with other good players.

I'd love to see a scenario where Kahun plays third-line minutes, but that requires Edmonton acquiring another top-six LW and I'd be mighty preferential to Edmonton finding a good #3C. Gimme Eric Staal every damn day.

Archibald should never again be a top-six option for this club unless there's a half dozen injuries up front. It's atrocious that people think he's actually good enough to hold a role on one of those lines over a period of time, as opposed to intermittently. I'm not a fan of Ennis playing anything over the 3rd line, and again would only ever hope to see him in a top-six role if there's a myriad of injuries. He and Archibald are very good fourth liners and appear to have clicked to some extent with Khaira. Leave that line alone.

I like the defense setup, but I'd still sell high on Barrie in order to ensure Jones gets consistent minutes. Smith probably has the starter's net over Koskinen for most of the rest of the season or until he falters.

The only way the lineup should ever substantially change is if Edmonton acquires pieces. Shuffling what we currently have offers no genuine solutions.

First off
What offense???
2nd Nuge is best with Leon, secondly if he wants 7 or 8 million, he should be able to run his own line, otherwise I am not paying him that.

Top 6. I would like the Oilers to go after Olofsson like I said above. Good contract and produces. 3rd line I would go after Haula. Staal is another 3 million $ player, not sure if that even works cap wise.

Love Archibald and him and Archibald DO have chemistry together. That is why I did that. You can keep trying the same thing over and over and over again with the same line up and get what you get. A 500 team and yet another year burnt.

Jones I want as a trade piece for Olofsson, but dont know what his value is. I had Jones and a 3rd but than deleted it.

The only thing keeping Edmonton from rolling 3 lines right now may be a proper #3C and an injury. The Oilers are currently 11th in goals for per game: they're above average and I expect you to be mature enough to recognize that fact. Our production from the blueline has been at levels not seen since the 2017 run, and there's more depth support than we saw last season. Kahun isn't the best fit as a #2LW, but the clusters of McDavid+Puljujarvi and either RNH+Draisaitl or Draisaitl+Yamamoto are very strong pieces to be working with in a top-six. Kassian coming back into the fold as the #3RW mathematically results in better results once Edmonton has a pivot that can produce and play at the third-line level. A third line of Neal/Nygard - Staal - Kassian is not a bad third line, especially when the 4th line has the defensive chops to take on tough opposition and produce when sprung.

Olofsson is primarily a powerplay producer. That is not Edmonton's need. The Oilers need to be much more concerned with 5v5 scoring than investing heavily into a 25 year-old version of last year's James Neal. You need to look beyond his boxcars: Oloffson would be a horrible piece for this club to burn assets on. Nugent-Hopkins, while not necessarily a driver as given by your context, is one of the most phenomenal complimentary pieces in the league right now. He produces at a top-line rate (a bit snake-bit this season), can win faceoffs, kills penalties, and has the most tenure on this roster. He's been a great soldier, has apparent chemistry with both of Edmonton's crown players. If the UFA market prices him at $7+M, he's worth that, whether or not you recognize it. He's been producing at about what Hall has been over the past two years, but he's a better overall player. Try looking past your biases in order to more reasonably assess players.

Haula is probably an unrealistic target. The Panthers aren't going to be looking to sell this deadline. Stall can be had with 50% retention and possibly with Buffalo taking either Chiasson or Turris back; it's probably only going to cost Edmonton a 2nd and a C-prospect tops.

Archibald is a 4th line winger and would be a healthy scratch on the bona-fide contending teams. Just because he's had one or two games with positive shot metrics alongside McDavid/Draisaitl does not mean he's an option for employment in that role. He cannot finish when given those opportunities. I don't even like the idea of him playing as a 3rd line forward.

Edmonton's primary issues stem from their goaltenders and their coach. Tippett has not assessed what he's been working with very well all season, and the Oilers are winning solely due to a Mike Smith heater. Koskinen has been awful this year. Both Bear and Bouchard are paying for Koskinen's piss-poor performances while Russell and Turris continue to get icetime. Jones is great in sheltered minutes and Tippett won't keep him in.