Major shake-up on Edmonton Oilers, hot shot goalie, top winger back, struggling vets rotate as healthy scratches

This in from Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now, news that hot shot newcomer goalie Devon Levi is healthy again and in the starter’s net for tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

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In fact, there’s a massive shake-up in the Oilers line-up.

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Struggling veteran forward Trent Frederic, who has been a healthy scratch, is also back in, while another embattled vet, d-man Jake Walman, is again a healthy scratch.

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Winger Zach Hyman is back, but promising young power forward Colton Dach was not on the ice. Alex Formenton was demoted to the fourth line, with Max Jones put on the third line.

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Here were the lines and pairings from the morning skate:

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Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Kapanen-RNH-Hyman
Jones-Dickinson-Joseph
Formenton-Michaels-Frederic
Hallander

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Ekholm-Bouchard
Shea-Murphy
Mukhamadullin-Emberson
Walman

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Levi

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*Dach is not on the ice

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My take

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1. The return of Levi is huge news, as the young goalie was sparkling in the net before he went out with injury. Veteran goalies Tristan Jarry and Matt Tomkins did a good job in Levi’s absence, but Levi’s play so far provides hope that the Oilers have found a true No. 1 goalie.

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Tomkins has been reassigned to Bakersfield after one great game and one iffy game. Not a bad cameo for the veteran minor leaguer.

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2. Colton Dach was playing strong two-way hockey, so it’s a downer if he’s hurt again. We’ll find out more soon. Hyman has been in and out of the line-up this year with injury, but has played well when he’s been in.

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3. The demotion of Formenton is the first signal that Babcock is responding to the signal that both Formenton and centre Owen Michaels are struggling at the NHL level this year. Neither is providing much on the attack, Michaels even less than Formenton.

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Michaels looks like he could use a spell in the AHL to work on his offensive cycling of the puck. Formenton may yet find his game at the NHL level, as his skating speed is indeed a formidable weapon. But he’s got to start winning more board battles.

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4. As for Walman and Frederic, both appear to be in Babcock’s doghouse. Both have played solid hockey in the past, and I have no real complaint with Frederic’s two-way play this year. He’s been far from the Oil’s weakest forward, and better than either Formenton or Michaels. But Frederic is not yet scoring.

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As for Walman, he looks a step behind the play just now. At the same time, the Oilers have got to find out what they have in Shakir Mukhamadullin, so he’s got to play. Emberson has been solid all year, though he and Mukhamadullin can struggle mightily to move the puck.

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5. Connor Murphy is also struggling this year, not playing at near the level he did last season with the Oilers. Again, it strikes me that he and Emberson play a similar game, with both strong when it comes to positional defence but both weak puck movers. The Oilers would do well to have one of these rugged players in the line-up at any one time as the third pairing d-man, but the team’s top need right now in trade is a puck-moving right shot d-man to play in the Top 4.

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At the Cult of Hockey

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