For the second straight year, the Edmonton Oilers are headed to the Stanley Cup Final. They were able to get back to the dance after eliminating the Dallas Stars in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final on Thursday night, and will be headed for a rematch versus Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers.
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The Oilers have surprised many this postseason, not by the fact that they are back in the Final, but in the way they’ve managed to get back. Rather than leaning heavily on Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, they’ve had many others step up and suddenly look like one of the deepest rosters throughout the entire league.
They further proved in Game 5 versus the Stars just how great their depth is. With both Zach Hyman and Connor Brown out of the lineup, Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner were relied upon, and both came through. Arvidsson had a primary assist on a Mattias Janmark goal, while Skinner beat Casey DeSmith partway through the first period to give the Oilers a 3-0 lead.
Hyman is expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs, meaning the Oilers’ depth will continue to be tested. That said, Brown’s injury isn’t believed to be anywhere near as serious, and it’s sounding as though he will be ready to return by Game 1 on Wednesday. The question is, should he be good to go, who will head coach Kris Knoblauch take out?
No One Deserving to Come Out
Let’s first start with the fact that while a player will undoubtedly be coming out of the lineup when Brown is ready to go, none are deserving to. The most obvious candidates would be Skinner, Arvidsson, and Kasperi Kapanen, and in all likelihood, it will be one of those three.
Skinner is the most likely of the three. The 33-year-old has struggled to gain the trust of Knoblauch, as he was a healthy scratch on more than one occasion during the regular season and was often in a bottom-six role when in the lineup. He was in the Oilers’ lineup for the first game of the playoffs, but was then banished to the press box until Game 5 versus the Stars.
That said, Skinner has an ability to score goals, and his big goal to put the Oilers up 3-0 in Game 5 may have been enough for Knoblauch to give him another opportunity. Should that be the case, it could be Arvidsson, who has also struggled to contribute as many had envisioned when he signed in Edmonton last offseason.
Another option is Kapanen, who sat out the entire first round and didn’t get inserted into the lineup until Game 5 versus the Vegas Golden Knights. Kapanen made the most of his opportunity, scoring the overtime winner to help the Oilers advance to the Western Conference Final, and has remained in the lineup ever since. He’s provided some great physicality, which may make it hard to take him out versus the Panthers, though it certainly isn’t out of the question.
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The final option is Trent Frederic, who has struggled in the playoffs with just a goal and three assists through 16 games. It’s hard to blame him given that he played just one regular season game with the Oilers due to a high-ankle sprain, but if that injury is still hampering him, which many believe is the case, he could wind up being the man to come out of the lineup.
All Could Get Opportunities Throughout the Final
As mentioned, the Oilers’ depth has been nothing short of superb to this point in their run. That will make this decision for who comes out to begin the series a difficult one for Knoblauch, though whichever player it is could get an opportunity later on. Knoblauch is never afraid to change his lines as he sees fit, meaning it wouldn’t be surprising to see all four players mentioned get their opportunities throughout this Stanley Cup Final, which could very well go seven games for the second straight year.
