<p>The Edmonton Oilers have elevated <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/10/16/what-does-a-successful-season-for-oilers-jeff-skinner-look-like/">Jeff Skinner</a> back into the top six at Monday&#8217;s practice and split up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl from the top line.</p>
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<p>Skinner had spent the last number of games on the third line alongside Adam Henrique and Connor Brown, with both Vasily Podkolzin and Mattias Janmark, the latter on Saturday against the Stars, getting a look on the second line left-wing spot.</p>
<p>McDavid and Draisaitl, meanwhile, were centring their own lines, with the Captain flanked by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, and the German centring Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. Janmark skated alongside Henrique and Brown, while Derek Ryan centred a fourth line that included Podkolzin and Corey Perry.</p>
<p>The Oilers bottom-six, notably, saw much rotation during practice, <em>The Athletic&#8217;s </em>Daniel Nugent-Bowman noted.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Oilers lines and pairings at practice:<br />RNH-McDavid-Hyman<br />Skinner-Draisaitl-Arvidsson<br />Podkolzin-Henrique-Perry<br />Janmark-Ryan-Brown<br />(Rotating in bottom six)</p>
<p>Ekholm-Bouchard<br />Nurse-Dermott<br />Kulak-Emberson<br />Stecher</p>
<p>On the ice: Roby Jarventie</p>
<p>&mdash; Daniel Nugent-Bowman (@DNBsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNBsports/status/1848415828129288433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The reversion of the lines goes back to what was seen in the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/gdb-1-0-edmonton-oilers-franchise-begins-its-45th-nhl-season-vs-winnipeg-jets-8pm-mt-snw">season&#8217;s opening game against the Winnipeg Jets,</a> and reflect what many expected the lines to be this season. The Oilers early season skid, however, caused Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch to mix up the lines. Now, with a pair of wins under their belt and the rust being shaken off, one has to wonder if these lines will stick for a while.</p>
<p>Edmonton welcomes the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins this week on Tuesday and Friday, before embarking on a four-game road trip leading them into November. It will see the Oilers face the Detroit Red Wings next Sunday afternoon, the Columbus Blue Jackets the following Monday, the Nashville Predators on Halloween, capping off a Battle of Alberta with the Flames on November 3rd.</p>
<p>The stretch will continue to see the Oilers challenged, with the Blue Jackets having a surprisingly strong start to their season and the Flames still undefeated through their first five games of the year.</p>
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<p><i><span style="font-weight: 400">Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist, making up one-half of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff/streams">DFO DFS Report</a>. He can be followed on Twitter at</span></i> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"><span style="font-weight: 400">@zjlaing</span></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400">, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.</span></i></p>
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The Edmonton Oilers have elevated <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/10/16/what-does-a-successful-season-for-oilers-jeff-skinner-look-like/">Jeff Skinner</a> back into the top six at Monday's practice and split up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl from the top line.


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Skinner had spent the last number of games on the third line alongside Adam Henrique and Connor Brown, with both Vasily Podkolzin and Mattias Janmark, the latter on Saturday against the Stars, getting a look on the second line left-wing spot.

McDavid and Draisaitl, meanwhile, were centring their own lines, with the Captain flanked by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman, and the German centring Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson. Janmark skated alongside Henrique and Brown, while Derek Ryan centred a fourth line that included Podkolzin and Corey Perry.

The Oilers bottom-six, notably, saw much rotation during practice, <em>The Athletic's </em>Daniel Nugent-Bowman noted.

https://twitter.com/DNBsports/status/1848415828129288433

The reversion of the lines goes back to what was seen in the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/gdb-1-0-edmonton-oilers-franchise-begins-its-45th-nhl-season-vs-winnipeg-jets-8pm-mt-snw">season's opening game against the Winnipeg Jets,</a> and reflect what many expected the lines to be this season. The Oilers early season skid, however, caused Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch to mix up the lines. Now, with a pair of wins under their belt and the rust being shaken off, one has to wonder if these lines will stick for a while.

Edmonton welcomes the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins this week on Tuesday and Friday, before embarking on a four-game road trip leading them into November. It will see the Oilers face the Detroit Red Wings next Sunday afternoon, the Columbus Blue Jackets the following Monday, the Nashville Predators on Halloween, capping off a Battle of Alberta with the Flames on November 3rd.

The stretch will continue to see the Oilers challenged, with the Blue Jackets having a surprisingly strong start to their season and the Flames still undefeated through their first five games of the year.

<hr />

<i><span style="font-weight: 400">Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist, making up one-half of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@daily_faceoff/streams">DFO DFS Report</a>. He can be followed on Twitter at</span></i> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/zjlaing"><span style="font-weight: 400">@zjlaing</span></a><i><span style="font-weight: 400">, or reached by email at zach@thenationnetwork.com.</span></i>

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Oilers split up Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, return Jeff Skinner to top-six

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