What’s happening on Starboard?

There are still some questions left to answer on the Oilers roster, but none are bigger than what is happening on right wing.

We can say with certainty that Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins are the 1st and 2nd line centers. We know Milan Lucic and (most likely) Benoit Pouliot will be the top two left-wingers. The depth chart on left and right defense can also be written down with a lot of confidence.

What is unknown is what combination of right-wingers on the top 2 lines will be pushed during training camp, and which right-wingers will actually emerge as the top two right side options.

The Oilers need to find what works best for the team. That means a winger who can play with McDavid and Lucic, and another who can play with Nuge and Pouliot.

The candidates for the job are Jordan Eberle, Nail Yakupov, rookie Jesse Puljujaarvi, and possibly Leon Draisaitl. That list includes a lot of draft pedigree, but unfortunately not enough established players beyond Eberle.

Jordan Eberle has the skill to play on any of the Oilers lines, and has demonstrated success with both McDavid and Nugent-Hopkins. So where should he be slotted? He is at the top of the right-wing depth chart and it makes sense to play him on the top line. But there are also other issues.

The next best option on the right side is Nail Yakupov. Now Yakupov obviously has flashes of brilliance in him, but he also struggles to support his teammates when they have the puck and he is not in a position to score. He needs to improve his ability to help his linemates hold onto the puck in the offensive zone. This is something that has affected which centers he can play with. Yakupov has apparently been working on improving his strength, and this will be helpful for him in the upcoming season. However, it will not address that he needs to spend more hours in the video room this season. His skills matched with some strong positional play in the offensive zone would make him a more well-rounded player. He will probably get a push with Connor McDavid or on a line with Leon Draisaitl and both combinations have chances of success.

In the past, neither Yakupov or Nugent-Hopkins have had success playing with each other and so this combination probably does not get tried by Todd McLellan. This means that either Eberle or Puljujaarvi gets paired with Nugent-Hopkins. The Oilers management must have an idea whether they intend to start out the rookie in the NHL this year. Whatever that idea is, it must not involve playing tough minutes with Nugent-Hopkins, or on a line with McDavid playing the toughest defensemen in the league. In the past the Oilers have too easily been impressed with rookies in training camp beating out established competition. Even if he outplays his competition in training camp, the Oilers should not play JP on a line other than the third line with easier competition. Playing him on a third line with Leon Draisaitl and Patrick Maroon makes the most sense.

That would mean that Nail Yakupov would be slotted in on McDavid’s right, which for a top line involves some risk. There is no guarantee that Yakupov could score 20 goals and maybe 40 or 50 points. This scenario also involves Leon Draisaitl leading a line without Hall, playing with a rookie just a little bit less experienced than Draisaitl himself.

Or the Oilers could make Eberle play on the first line and feel a little more secure. But instead of playing JP, or Yakupov on Nuge’s right, they could play Draisaitl. There is no guarantee that works either. And it would also mean being short one skilled center. The third line would feature Anton Lander or Mark Letestu playing with Nail Yakupov, not promising a lot of effective ice-time.

So in order for a more well-balanced roster, the Oilers may have to keep their best right-wing option away from their best offense creating center. The upside will be that Nail Yakupov can be in a spot in the roster where he can succeed, and hopefully also improve. In the longer term, if management does not see him as a part of the future, they can at the very least increase his trade value. This will also allow Draisaitl, who will only be entering his third season, to play some softer competition. And this can help bring in Puljujaarvi slowly into the NHL, if at all.