Insights as Top Oilers d-man missing from morning skate, forward lines shaken up wildly, Skinner in net

Game Day 22, Oilers vs Rangers

According to Tony Brar from Edmonton Oilers media, Stuart Skinner will start in goal, Evan Bouchard did not participate in the morning skate, and the Oilers have significantly shuffled their lineup. Newcomer Kasperi Kapanen has been moved up to play alongside Connor McDavid, while Connor Brown will join Leon Draisaitl:

Oilers Lines at Morning Skate:

• Hyman and Arvidsson are not in the lineup.

• RNH – McDavid – Kapanen
• Podkolzin – Draisaitl – Brown
• Skinner – Henrique – Janmark
• Caggiula – Ryan – Perry

• Bouchard is absent.

Defensemen: Ekholm, Nurse, Kulak, Emberson, Stecher, Dermott

Goalies: Skinner, Pickard

UPDATE: Gene Principe provides more information: “Hyman and Arvidsson are unavailable. Bouchard is ill but hopeful to play. Nurse is expected to participate, per Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch.”

My take

1. With this lineup, the Oilers have little chance of winning unless they commit to and execute an almost flawless defensive performance.
2. Bouchard has faced considerable criticism for significant defensive mistakes in recent games, much of which is warranted. He may have been dealing with an illness that has affected his performance. However, he has been a reliable top-pair defenseman for the Oilers this season, contributing to many high-quality scoring opportunities. If he is sidelined due to illness, it would be a considerable setback for the team. While Josh Brown and Travis Dermott give their best efforts, they have yet to play at an NHL-level quality for the Oilers this year.
3. It’s intriguing to see Draisaitl paired with two gritty players like Brown and Podkolzin. Both are solid two-way players who work hard and forecheck with intensity. Could this line manage to score a goal or two tonight? It’s certainly a possibility and an interesting experiment.
4. I’m not too confident about the McDavid line. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has struggled all season and seems to be a step behind his performance from last year. He needs to increase his intensity and urgency if he wants to make an impact tonight. I haven’t seen enough of Kapanen to form a strong opinion, but he hasn’t been outstanding in the NHL lately.
5. The line of Jeff Skinner, Adam Henrique, and Mattias Janmark offers a good blend of players. Skinner has had a rough year defensively and needs to improve in that area. However, he remains a potent offensive threat, as does Henrique. Janmark is a reliable two-way player.
6. The fourth line lacks speed and aggression, a point I’ve been making for some time. While Ryan and Perry are smart and occasionally effective, the Oilers need a fourth line that brings relentless hustle, speed, and physicality. Caggiula could fit on such a line, but the team needs to find additional pieces to complement this bottom trio.
7. Regarding Skinner in net, he is currently experiencing the longest slump of his NHL career, resulting in a save percentage that is the lowest we’ve seen during the McDavid era in Edmonton.
8. The good news is that Nurse is well enough to return to play. He was performing exceptionally well in the weeks leading up to his injury. It might be a lot to expect him to immediately return to that form, but doing so would significantly impact the Oilers.