PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers at Stars

DALLAS, TX – Call it the 'Hart' line.

After putting in an impactful performance on Thursday in St. Louis, Corey Perry was on the top line alongside fellow former Hart Trophy winners Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid during Friday's pre-flight practice in St. Louis before the team departed to Dallas for Saturday’s afternoon tilt against the Stars.

Only the 1962-63 Montreal Canadiens had three Hart Trophy winners in their lineup who'd already won the award, but the Edmonton Oilers could be the first team in NHL history to ice a full forward line of League MVPs.

The 38-year-old scored his first Oilers goal, had another one disallowed, a fight and was overall effective in his net-front role against the Blues, which is what Head Coach Kris Knoblauch hopes the veteran can bring to the top line with two elite scorers whose strengths come from the outside.

“I think with Connor and Leon playing together, they're usually in the offensive zone and on the perimeter making incredible plays,” Knoblauch said. “We need a guy around the net, and Hymsy's been great at that, but I think we’ll share the scoring a little more and with Perry, I think he complements those guys really well.

“He's not going to play the same minutes as Connor and Leon, but I think he adds that element of net presence, but also being able to break the puck out and getting those guys the puck. It's very important and I think he can provide that.”

During the skate, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins made his return to centre on the second line between Evander Kane and Zach Hyman. The longest-tenured Oiler who just entered the top three for all-time games played in an Oilers uniform (851) is a valuable tool for the coaching staff to have at their disposal with the ability to play – and excel – at both centre and wing.

“Since I've been here, they've only been playing together maybe one or two games. I know in the past I've heard that they've been pretty solid together,” Knoblauch said.

“With Ryan, it's good to have him. He and Connor have had great chemistry, but I also think it's good for him to play centre because at times during the year, we're going to need to change things up and I think it's good for him to get his feet moving and play centre, where there’s more responsibility, more puck touches.

Coach Knoblauch hopes this OIlers lineup can help lead to a bit more secondary scoring from the bottom six. Connor Brown has yet to score his first Oilers goal, but was all over it offensively on Thursday with two shots in 12:24 of ice time – not including one of his efforts that struck the crossbar in the third period.

With back-to-back matinées to come on Friday and Saturday, Calvin Pickard will get the start against the Dallas Stars before Stuart Skinner returns to the crease in Arizona against the Coyotes.

Pickard is 5-0-0 in his last five starts, posting a 2.00 goals-against average and .922 save percentage over that span.

View the Oilers projected lineup vs. Dallas

Draisaitl - McDavid - Perry
Kane - Nugent-Hopkins - Hyman
Holloway - McLeod - Foegele
Janmark - Ryan - Brown

Nurse - Ceci
Ekholm - Bouchard
Kulak - Desharnais

Pickard
Skinner