Kane-Mcdavid-Yamo has proven to work in the past, Yamamoto's relentless forechecking and speed makes him a perfect linemate for mcdavid, and he and mcdavid's good playmaking works well with Kane's ability to finish.
Holloway-Draisaitl-Hyman looks like it would work on paper, we will have to see tonight. Hyman's forechecking and speed makes him a good complimentary player for these two, and he can finish well. Holloway's speed and passing should work well with Draisaitl's finishing and passing ability too.
Mcleod-Nuge-JP could be one of if not the best third line in the league if they play up to their abilities. Mcleod's speed combined with Nuge's hockey IQ could work well. All that needs to happen is for JP to go back to the good finisher he was at the start of the year and Mcleod and Nuge should be able to set him up well. The three of them are also VERY good defensively. Matching them up with another team's top 6 lines and allowing one of Drai or Mcdavid's lines to go up against a bottom 6 line would be deadly.
Janmark-Ryan-Foegele I'm not too sure about because I don't know Janmark's playstyle, but it should be a good mix of defense and speed. I wouldn't count on them to score many goals, but most 4th lines don't.
Nurse-Ceci was a very good pairing towards the end of last season, Ceci is very good defensively, and Nurse when at the top of his game is one of the best dmen in the league.
Kulak-Bouchard should be very good in transition with Kulak's skating and Bouchard's passing/offence. Kulak was also very impressive defensively. If Bouchard's defensive game takes a step, this is a very good second pairing.
Broberg-Barrie could be good for Broberg to get proper NHL experience in a sheltered role, and should be able to show off his defensive and skating abilities. Barrie was good in a smaller role last year, should be an OK mentor for Broberg.
Campbell/Skinner could be a good tandem, but Campbell can be inconsistent and Skinner is a rookie. I think the healthy competition for the starter's role would be good for both of them though, and they should be an average NHL tandem.
PP units: PP1 would have Kane/Hyman swap, no issues there. Bouchard is better than Barrie on the PP, has an insane point shot. PP2 has a lot of speed and skill up front, and two good offensive dmen. Should get a couple goals throughout the season.
PK units: Nuge/Hyman is one of the best PK duos in the league. Other options include Mcleod, Ryan, Yamamoto, JP, or even Draisaitl or Mcdavid. On D, the top two pairs are the best option. If one of the dmen get the penalty, Broberg would be a good replacement.
Scratches: On D, Murray is a solid replacement in case of injuries. Niemelainen is also very close to being an NHLer, and would be fine if lots of injuries happen. Up front, I don't think the Oilers have that much depth. I'm not a fan of Shore, Benson hasn't been good at the NHL level, even if they sign Virtanen, he hasn't been that good. Malone and Mckegg aren't NHlers either.
I like this. But broberg is very on and off i think one more year in the AHL will help him alot. But Overall i can see this being the opening night roster. Perfect way to go under the cap
Personally I'd swap Puljujarvi and Hyman. Draisaitl has much better results with the big Finn. Undoubtedly he'll see lots of both, as Woodcroft likes to mix & match based on who's "going" on any particular night.
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