PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Capitals

EDMONTON, AB – Andrew Mangiapane will play in the top six on the second line, while Connor Ingram will get the start between the pipes for the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night when Evan Bouchard plays in his 400th NHL game at Rogers Place against the Washington Capitals.

Bouchard is fourth in league scoring among defencemen this season with 49 points (11G, 38A), and his 287 points through 399 career games are the fifth-most among all active blueliners in the NHL over that span behind only Cale Makar (433), Quinn Hughes (375), Adam Fox (341) and Erik Karlsson (306).

The Oakville, Ont. product will play in his regular top-pairing role tonight alongside his Swedish counterpart Mattias Ekholm, who's tallied three assists for the Oilers over his last three games after going pointless in his previous six contests. Bouchard has four points (1G, 3A) over his last five against the Capitals.

Mangiapane was skating next to Vasily Podkolzin and Leon Draisaitl on the second line during Saturday's morning skate as a continuation from the line shuffling in Thursday's 6-2 loss to Pittsburgh, and he looks poised to play in the top six again in place of Jack Roslovic, who was back centring the third line with Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie.

Head Coach Kris Knoblauch liked what he saw from Podkolzin, Draisaitl and Savoie together against Pittsburgh and wants the trio to continue together in hopes that it can get Mangiapane a few more minutes of ice time and more scoring opportunities to kickstart his offence.

"Last game, he started out on the fourth line, and we changed things up," Knoblauch said. "He moved up to Leon's line and they had a lot of good shifts. Spent a lot of time in the offensive zone. No goals, but just feel that he's playing with an edge, and I know it's been a very difficult season for him, but he still has great attitude and we feel that he can help our team by being tenacious, getting on the forecheck, making some plays, but he can also score some goals.

Mangiapane has six goals and six assists in 46 games this season, but has only scored twice in his last 18 games, so his opportunity to play in the top six tonight comes with the hope that he can rediscover some of that tenacity and scoring touch that saw him score 35 goals for the Calgary Flames in 2021-22.

"I think it kind of goes with the flow of the game," Mangiapane said. "When you're in the game and things are going on, someone lays a big hit on one of your players or whatever, there's a scrum in front of the net. That's usually when all that happens. Being tenacious and hard on the puck, that's kind of my game. Being in the corners, winning the little battles. It's the battle within the battles. So that's what I kind of pride myself on, and that's what I gotta keep doing.

"It's obviously nice, but you can't put too much pressure on yourself," Mangiapane added. "You just gotta go out there and play with confidence. I feel like that's a big part of my game, just kind of going out there, believing in myself and just showing everyone what I can do."

Draisaitl was a surprise addition to the lineup on Thursday following his three-game absence to return to Germany to deal with a family illness, and the Oilers will be thankful to have their German back after giving him the space and support he needed while he was with his loved ones at home.

"It's been great that way," Draisaitl said of the support. "The support was there, and obviously, I needed to be with my family. It puts things into perspective at times how little this in here really matters when it comes to life."

View the Oilers Projected Lineup vs. the Capitals below:

Nugent-Hopkins - McDavid - Hyman
Podkolzin - Draisaitl - Mangiapane
Howard - Roslovic - Savoie
Janmark - Lazar - Frederic

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Emberson
Walman - Stastney

Ingram
Jarry