The noise around the Edmonton Oilers’ third line has reached an all-time high. Jack Roslovic, Matt Savoie, and Isaac Howard constitute the revamped third line. Roslovic has been at the center of the line, and while it is perfectly alright for the Oilers to keep it intact now that Adam Henrique is expected to be out for the long term, conversation around the third line remains.
Under such circumstances, Jeff Marek has turned to an Eastern Conference team for solutions.
Columbus Blue Jackets Could Help the Edmonton Oilers Battle Third-Line Woes
Not the one to shy away from line readjustments, Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch has expressed optimism in the Roslovic-Savoie-Howard experiment. “That line playing the way they did, they generated a lot of scoring chances. Those three can all skate. They’re all fast, especially Roslovic playing out of the middle, so I think they can hopefully generate a little bit of chemistry and build something. Because Henrique will be out, hopefully that’s a line we can keep together for a while.”
Roslovic has outperformed his contract with the Oilers, proving himself to be one of Stan Bowman’s best acquisitions. The line, as it stands, holds considerable value. Howard is a rookie with a lot of solid experience to draw upon, and so is Savoie. However, with the playoffs at stake, the Oilers could be open to exploring more options.
Marek believes the Blue Jackets could offer a rational solution to the Oilers’ issues. “I would be looking hard at Columbus with the thoughts of what can we do with the Columbus Blue Jackets to build a successful third line.” For the insider, the answer lies with Charlie Coyle, who is in the final year of his six-year, $31.5 million contract.
The insider is looking at Charlie Coyle to help address Edmonton’s pressing third-line issues. “I wonder if there is a Boone Jenner/Charlie Coyle, something they can do with the Blue Jackets that will help move things along to building that third line for the playoffs, which we all know, is critical,” Marek further stated during his appearance on Oilersnation Everyday, adding weight to his argument.
According to Alan Mitchell’s recent contribution to The Athletic, Knoblauch should keep the line as is. “Knoblauch should keep the line together. Despite some chaos and surrendering two goals, this line has some magic. There are going to be moments when the line gets roughed up against a physical team like Winnipeg, but the passing skill on display was impressive.”
However, there is a chance that the team wants to strengthen itself further to ensure a deep playoff run.
