Fixing the outrageous drag of the Edmonton Oilers’ third and fourth lines

Edmonton Oilers winger Vasily Podkolzin is enjoying his finest offensive season in 2025-26. He lines up with impact centre Leon Draisaitl most nights, and his five-on-five points per 60 (1.91) plus goal share (62 percent) in the game state are exceptional. He has also had success when playing on a line with captain Connor McDavid, giving the club an exceptional value deal.

Podkolzin is one of the few Oilers forwards who can boast solid scoring numbers away from both men. That fact puts him at the top of a list of forwards who could potentially populate an outscoring third line. That kind of quality depth, the kind that could punish the opposition’s lesser players during the playoffs, could be key to a Stanley Cup victory.

With or without 97 and 29

Here are Podkolzin’s numbers with McDavid and Draisaitl, and then solo this season:

All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick

Podkolzin’s total ice time away from both centres is about 180 minutes, meaning it’s a large enough sample to draw some conclusions. His points per 60 is solid across the board, and his 44 percent goal share at five-on-five towers over the rest of the forwards when away from 97 and 29. When all three men are on the bench, Edmonton owns a 32 percent goal share at five-on-five.

The rest of the skill players

Compared to the rest of the forwards, Podkolzin is enjoying a strong season when playing away from the top two lines. That may be a key factor in populating a third useful line for the postseason.

The Oilers have a problem when it comes to finding forwards who can push the river and drive results at five-on-five. Complementary players who are effective scorers with McDavid and Draisaitl often wane when placed on a third or fourth unit far from the impact centres.

Centre Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is key to any conversation surrounding an effective third line. He has played 200 minutes away from the two big centres this season; his line is 3-9 goals. Those totals came when he played in the middle on the second line. As he would be the primary option for No. 3 centre if coach Kris Knoblauch uses his best available player, those easier minutes should ease the pressure on his line. Nugent-Hopkins’ solo work offensively (0.92) is also shy but would pick up against easier competition. Some other notes on the skill forwards:

• Zach Hyman has played just 47 minutes on a secondary line (1-2 goals), so the sample doesn’t allow us to draw a conclusion.
• Andrew Mangiapane is scoring 1.28 goals per 60 with McDavid at five-on-five in 187 minutes.
• Ike Howard is scoring 5.87 goals per 60 and 11.75 points per 60 in 11 minutes with Draisaitl. It’s a laughably small sample. Still, the Oilers might want to take that idea for a spin between now and the trade deadline.
• Kasperi Kapanen is scoring 2.98 points per 60 on the Draisaitl line. The Oilers have solved the No. 2 right-wing issue via the waiver wire.
• Matt Savoie has zero points in 135 five-on-five minutes with centre Adam Henrique. Away from the veteran pivot, he’s posting 1.24 points per 60. That includes 1.35 points per 60 with McDavid, and 1.19 with Draisaitl. All are disappointing numbers.

The bottom line for Knoblauch is that options for the third line are limited based on results so far this season. The veterans have no-movement or no-trade clauses, and their offensive prowess away from McDavid-Draisaitl is well below NHL average. The result is a baffling number of players, basically the entire roster outside the top talent, playing at expansion levels (the old-timey expansion teams, before the Vegas Golden Knights).

All numbers five-on-five via Natural Stat Trick

The proof is in the away from numbers, and 10 forwards have played 200-plus minutes away from McDavid and Draisaitl. The top performers are Podkolzin, Jack Roslovic and Curtis Lazar. The poorest numbers come from mostly July 1 free agents signed in what is becoming the most depressing day on the Oilers calendar.

The next step

The logical move for Knoblauch is to run Nugent-Hopkins as the No. 3 centre. The 25 percent goal share this season came when the coaching staff loaded up McDavid-Draisaitl, forcing Nugent-Hopkins to play No. 2 centre with complementary wingers.

If the coach runs McDavid with a new left winger, Draisaitl with a new left winger, and Nugent-Hopkins with Podkolzin, could the third line outscore opponents at something close to 50 percent? Puck IQ bins opponents, and gives us an interesting view into what kind of success a No. 3 line with Nugent-Hopkins could manage against easier competition:

All numbers five-on-five, via Puck IQ

Puck IQ confirms the Nugent-Hopkins No. 2 line gets fed by elites from opposition teams, but the mid-level Dangerous Fenwick percentage (similar to expected goals) indicates the line played close to even up against mid-level and depth talent. If the Oilers give Nugent-Hopkins substantial linemates (say Podkolzin and Roslovic), the numbers should rise from the third line.

Fans of the team often suggest the problem with the third and fourth lines involves a lack of ice time. However, the top two lines play a total of 28 minutes (any combination of McDavid-Draisaitl solo and together) at five-on-five, leaving 22 minutes for the third and fourth units. That’s plenty of opportunity for those forwards to impact the game.

So, what’s the problem? Edmonton has several veterans with no-movement or no-trade contracts performing poorly. Management will activate Henrique after the Olympic break. sending down a more effective player to make room. Josh Samanski, currently playing for Germany at the Olympics, delivered quality play for the Oilers over five games before the break. He may be forced to play for Bakersfield in the AHL due to the crush of no-movement veterans.

The large number of immovable contracts on the Oilers roster has now reached a critical point. The team signed these men years after their peak seasons, including contract language that gave the players much of the power, and Edmonton is now handcuffed when looking to move them.

The best available players for the third and fourth lines may well include Samanski and certainly include Lazar. The play here for the third line may well be having Nugent-Hopkins and Podkolzin check down to a third-line role, while elevating names like Roslovic or Savoie.

Oilers fans should stay tuned for Henrique’s activation, a trade that makes room for it, and a new third line designed to hammer the soft parade in the last portion of the regular season.

The veterans who have played at expansion levels for the first 58 games of the season have no-movement and no-trade contracts. The team has to keep them on the roster, but playing them isn’t working. Oilers coaches and management owe it to their fans to look past the clauses and deploy the superior talent available, even if it’s a rookie like Samanski.