The Edmonton Oilers are making some lineup changes ahead of Game 4 Thursday night. The Stanley Cup Final matchup between Edmonton and the Florida Panthers is not an elimination game, yet it could be the final game for a few players on this Oilers’ roster.
A win means likely keeping the same lineup for Game 5. A loss means the Oilers are on the brink of elimination, and some interesting choices will be made in the hopes that the coach can stave off being ousted by the Panthers in the Final for the second straight season.
Who is at risk of seeing their run with the Oilers end after tonight?
Jeff Skinner’s Last Chance?
Jeff Skinner will come in for Viktor Arvidsson. Skinner has played two playoff games in this stretch run for Edmonton, far less than anyone would have imagined when the veteran winger was signed in free agency this past summer. Skinner has produced in limited minutes, but few are writing that this was a signing that panned out as expected.
If the Oilers lose or Skinner doesn’t produce, this might be the last time he suits up for the Oilers. He was only signed to a one-year deal, and this was likely going to be a one-and-done heading into the playoffs. The Oilers need him to score or make a significant impact to stay in the lineup. Should he not, expect Arvidsson to come back in for Game 5.
Is Stuart Skinner The Guy Or Not?
The Oilers are sticking with Stuart Skinner in Game 4, based on the fact that his record in Game 4s is stellar and the goals allowed in Game 3 weren’t really his fault. All that said, if the Oilers lose Game 4, they’ll have little choice but to go with the 6-0 Calvin Pickard in Game 5. Pickard will likely get the chance to run the gamut to close out the series if that happens.
From there, the talk this summer will be about whether Skinner is the guy the Oilers want to move forward with. This will be the fourth straight playoff run that Skinner has shown the best and worst of himself. At times, he can be incredible. At others, he’s not the goalie a Cup-contending team should trust.
You can only come this close and not win before changes need to be made and Skinner as the starter would be the first change management likely looks at.
Kasperi Kapanen Needs to Show Up in Game 4
Kasperi Kapanen came to the Oilers as a waiver pickup, and he wasn’t expected to be a regular. He found another gear in the playoffs, but in the Final, he hasn’t been all that noticeable. If the Oilers struggle in Game 4 and feel a lineup change is needed for Game 5, sitting Kapanen could be one of the adjustments head coach Kris Knoblauch makes.
Should that happen and his replacement plays well, Kapanen is a pending UFA at the end of the season. The Oilers will face cap issues when they offer new contracts to Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid, and some of the depth players will have to be released. That likely means Kapanen isn’t brought back unless he’s willing to sign a league-minimum contract.
Trent Frederic’s Injury Becoming a Concern
Trent Frederic is playing through something. He’s got a high ankle sprain, and while he’s doing his best, talk is that the Oilers are working on an extension based on his previous run with Boston and not on his play with the Oilers since arriving. Two things are essential to note here.
First, if Frederic’s injury is hampering his play, at some point, the Oilers have to think about sitting him. Second, if an extension isn’t worked out between the two sides, Frederic is a UFA at the end of the season. Despite giving up multiple assets to acquire him, the Oilers only have so much they can spend on someone like him this summer. If another team offers more, the Oilers could lose him.
