PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers at Islanders

ELMONT, NY – The Edmonton Oilers held a full skate at UBS Arena on Tuesday morning ahead of opening a three-game road trip tonight against the New York Islanders.

As expected based on Head Coach Kris Knoblauch's post-practice comments on Sunday, Evander Kane will join the top line with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman in a bid to provide some scoring balance to the lineup and shake up the top-six forwards in anticipation of not having last change on this road trip.

Nugent-Hopkins was moved to the left wing of Leon Draisaitl and Warren Foegele's line after the longest-tenured Oiler seemed to find chemistry alongside McDavid and Hyman with a 99-42 advantage in scoring chances over 112:52 of ice time together this season, as per Natural Stat Trick.

"Especially when we go on the road, we switch up our top two lines a little bit," Knoblauch said. "Putting Nuge with Leo, we felt that we needed to get more scoring throughout our lineup. But also, hitting the road, the opposition can match up lines and get their deep pairs and their checking line out against our top line so much easier than if were at home with our last change. So hopefully, that's something that definitely benefits that second line, but also our whole team."

The top-six shuffle hopefully can provide an offensive spark for Kane, who has a goal and an assist over his last seven games. 

"All of us in the top six have played together for stretches and periods of time ever since I've been here," Kane said. "Obviously, that line had been running really well and coaches wanted to change it up a little bit, so it's a good opportunity for me to hopefully reignite some chemistry with those two guys and have a good road trip."

McDavid is currently riding a 12-game point streak of seven goals and 21 assists, while Zach Hyman has amassed 14 goals in his last 15 games – including a goal in three straight contests. 

"He's obviously having a hell of a year," Kane said of Hyman. "He's been incredibly consistent for us from an offensive standpoint. Like you said, he leads our team in goals and he's capitalizing on his opportunities and we're going to need that to continue for us to have success."

View the Oilers projected lineup vs. the Islanders below:

Kane - McDavid - Hyman
Nugent-Hopkins - Draisaitl - Foegele
Janmark - McLeod - Brown
Gagner - Hamblin - Ryan

Nurse - Ceci
Ekholm - Bouchard
Kulak - Desharnais

Skinner
Pickard