PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Islanders

EDMONTON, AB – Here are the Edmonton Oilers projected lines for tonight's meeting with the New York Islanders at Rogers Place.

As per Head Coach Kris Knoblauch's comments after Tuesday's optional pre-game skate, tonight's lines will mirror the same combinations, pairings and starting netminder from Edmonton's last two outings – a 4-2 loss to the Golden Knights last Wednesday and a 7-3 victory on Saturday over the Canucks.

Connor McDavid recorded a goal and two assists in Saturday's victory over Vancouver to give himself 995 career points in 657 games, just five away from becoming the 99th player in NHL history to reach the milestone. The Oilers captain has 26 games of buffer room to hit 1,000 points and become the fourth-fastest and fourth-youngest player ever to do it, with only Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Mike Bossy ahead of him.

"In my eyes, there's never been a player like him, especially in the modern era," Leon Draisaitl said of his captain and friend. "No player creates chances the way he does and at the speed and at the consistency that he has over 10 years now, so it's very, very, very impressive."

Kris Knoblauch's side will fittingly face the Islanders tonight – the opponent from his first-ever game behind an NHL bench – on the one-year anniversary of his appointment as Oilers head coach on Nov. 12, 2023.

The Oilers picked up the 4-1 win over the Islanders in their coach's debut last season and have assembled a total record of 53-25-6 (.667%) under Knoblauch, along with a trip to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

"I think I obviously had to adapt and coach a little bit differently, but I'd say my foundation and the things I believe in are very similar to what I was doing in junior, the American League, and when I was an assistant coach in the NHL," Knoblauch said. "Then just getting to know the players, and players want to learn. They want to get better and they want to get rewarded if they are playing well.

"It doesn't matter what level of hockey you're at – whether it's minor hockey, American League, junior or the NHL – a lot of things just remain the same."

View the Oilers Projected Lineup vs. NYI below:

Forwards

Skinner - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Arvidsson
Henrique - Nugent-Hopkins - Brown
Janmark - Ryan - Perry

Defence

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Stecher
Kulak - Emberson

Goalies

Skinner
Pickard