Edmonton Oilers: Second line Fantasy hype is well deserved
The Edmonton Oilers’ second line is getting some much-deserved love.
In the NHL, having a premier front line is the best surefire way to consistent success.
In theory, it makes sense, right? Typically, teams stack said line with their best player, give it more minutes than subsequent shifts, and even plan their shifts around keeping their top liners on the ice for the waning moments of a tight game.
Seems rather obvious, right? Well, let me ask you this: Which team has the best second line in the NHL?
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Well, our friends over at the NHL.com – specifically Senior Fantasy Editor Pete Jensen – took it upon himself to find out, and the results are incredibly interesting, especially if you’re a fan of the Edmonton Oilers.
That’s right, the Oilers’ second line, featuring Ryan Nugent-Hopkins/Dominik Kahun, Leon Draisaitl, and Kailer Yamamoto, has been named Jensen’s top second unit, directly above the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Washington Capitals, and the New York Rangers.
Honestly, the Edmonton Oilers’ ranking is very well deserved.
In 163 combined games of action, Nugent-Hopkins, Draisaitl, and Yamamoto amassed 76 goals, 121 assists, and 197 points. The trio also put up 76 blocks, 105 hits, and 133 takeaways on roughly 20 minutes of average time on ice per game.
Needless to say, when Connor McDavid and co leave the ice, the Oilers are very well positioned.
Factor in the addition of Kahun, the 25-year-old journeyman who shot a very impressive 13.8 percent on goal in an average of 13:17 minutes on ice, and the Oilers’ second unit could easily take a step up to previously unseen heights. As NBC Sports PHT’s James O’Brien pointed out here, Kahun is one of the hardest players in the NHL to scout. Kahun was weirdly successful from a statistical standpoint in 2019-20, but it seems rather unlikely that he’ll be able to sustain that production over a larger sample size.
With that being said, even if Kahun ultimately fails to find a home on the second line, his addition will be felt further down the line – as higher tides raise all ships.
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While Fantasy Hockey isn’t the end-all, be-all of success in the NHL – even if some fans make it seem that way – it’s always nice to see the Edmonton Oilers get a little extra international attention, especially in an offseason with no clear end date. Even if Connor McDavid gets most of the (inter)national attention for his albeit consistent string of amazing seasons, it’s refreshing to see guys like Kailer Yamamoto, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Dominik Kahun, and the 110 point man, Leon Draisaitl, get some well-deserved respect for what they bring to the ice night-in and night-out.