Edmonton Oilers new top line proves youth is key

Lineups are an important part of every NHL team and are the biggest factor in determining how far they will make it in the playoffs or what kind of success will be seen in the regular season. The Edmonton Oilers can move around their lines as much as they want because of the players they have at their disposal. Typically, it is preferred to keep the lines the same as long as possible so that the chemistry can be built up by these players.

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are the two best players in Edmonton and are the best duo in the world. Edmonton has what is called their “nuclear” line, and it consists of Draisaitl, McDavid, and Zach Hyman. They want to use this line as little as possible and only when absolutely needed. Any more than that and it becomes too predictable for their opponents. When Draisaitl sustained a lower-body injury against the Nashville Predators on March 15, there needed to be a lineup change. It was very important after it was announced that Draisaitl would miss the rest of the regular season.

With eight games remaining in the 2025–26 season, the Oilers have found their new number one line. It can be argued that it should not change when Draisaitl returns. Because of the success that has been seen so far, it is time to take a look at what makes this line successful. The line I am talking about is Vasily Podkolzin-Connor McDavid-Matthew Savoie—a youth line that beats experience.

Why youth can be more important than experience

It can be said that experience is more important than youth, especially when it comes to playoff hockey. When looking at the season and how other teams have been performing, youth is now more important than experience.

Speed seems to have been elevated in the NHL, and the game has also been getting faster in general. Young and fresh bodies are slowly starting to take over the league because of their age, size, and skill.

The Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and San Jose Sharks are three teams that currently have plenty of young talent on their rosters. They find themselves in a playoff spot or just two points out of making it in. The Sabres are currently fifth in the league standings, the Canadiens sixth, and lastly, the Sharks are 25th. San Jose sits two points out of taking the second wild card spot in the Western Conference.

When you look at the Oilers new number one line, it screams youth and talent. Podkolzin is 24 years old, Savoie is only 22, and of course, McDavid is 29 years old. McDavid is very good at making everyone else around him look better. When you have young guys learning and building chemistry with a player of his calibre, they are bound to do well.

The stats behind the new line

Looking at the stats over the last 10 games with this new line, there is a lot to like and not much that needs to change. In his previous 10 games, Podkolzin has one goal and three assists for a total of four points. He also has 20 shots, five blocks, and has averaged 15.76 minutes on ice per game. Savoie, on the other side, has three goals and one assist for a total of four points. He also has 20 shots, one block, and has averaged 13.91 minutes on ice per game. McDavid has crushed it over his last 10 with seven goals and nine assists for a total of 16 points. He also has 34 shots, three blocks, four power play points, and has averaged 22.67 minutes on ice per game.

Zach Hyman has four goals and three assists for a total of seven points over his last 10 games. He usually plays on that first line. Those seven points have happened for Hyman while playing on the second line with Jack Roslovic and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. He also has 23 shots, two blocks, and has averaged 19.74 minutes on ice per game.

Edmonton could decide to change this up for the playoffs. Why would they if it has been doing so well? More importantly, it adds way more depth to the rest of their top-six.

Here is what their lineup could look like for the playoffs with the return of Draisaitl and no changes;

Podkolzin – McDavid – Savoie

Draisaitl – Nugent-Hopkins – Hyman

Roslovic – Dickinson – Kapanen

Jones – Henrique – Lazar

Scratches: Samanski, Dach, Janmark

No change is needed before the playoffs

With the playoffs just over two weeks away, I think this statement needs to come into play: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This new number one line has been doing so well since the absence of Draisaitl that no changes are needed, and if changes are made, then that is, in my opinion, definitely the wrong choice.

Why would the Oilers mess with something if it could potentially lead to more playoff success? If the organization/coach allows these three to consistently work together and build more chemistry, it will have the outcome of turning into a lethal line with lots of offensive talent, speed, and skill.

The shuffle in the lineup has seen Savoie thriving on the top unit. This has helped boost the team’s high-danger chances and scoring efficiency as they enter their final playoff push. The expected goals for (xGF%) at 60.62% is currently the highest percentage among all Oilers forward lines.

In their game against the Anaheim Ducks on March 28, they outshot their opponents 7–2 in just over 10 minutes of 5v5 ice time. Savoie has benefited from this placement, scoring in three consecutive games (24, 26, 28). This can be attributed to the balance of McDavid’s elite pace, Savoie’s own high hockey IQ, and Podkolzin’s physical forechecking and puck-retrieval skills. Secondary options for Edmonton have begun to provide the depth scoring that was previously a major concern for the team.