I could guarantee the Oilers make the playoffs if I was given a temporary contract as General Manager for the rest of this season. The "Chiarelli surcharge" has destroyed the Oilers.

Edmonton vs Detroit (lowest ranked team in the NHL)

Projected lines...

RNH - McDavid - Puljujarvi
Khaira - Draisaitl - Chiasson
Lucic - Brodziak - Kassian
Spooner - Cave - Yamamoto

Nurse - Larsson
Russell - Benning
Manning - Petrovic

Switching Talbot and Koskinen when one is not playing well seems to work. Hopefully, it gets the better out of them. It rewards the goalie with more games if he is performing.

I don't mind punishing Draisaitl, by not putting him on the line with McD, because of his laziness defensively that cost Oilers last game. Once he gets his act together he can rejoin McDavid. Out of desperation I would put Draisaitl, McD and RNH on the top line together. That would be something to see at least for a few games. The other 3 lines can focus on better defense.

I would not play Spooner since he is on waivers and because he sucks. His +/- every year is so bad. I would have kept Rattie to replace Spooner.

I agree with Nurse and Larsson together because last season they were +25 combined. Do not deviate from this. They were an impregnable wall. Larsson could not play with Caleb Jones (-9 in 17 games) because Jones made so many mistakes. Caleb cost the Oilers so many games. That was a very costly error by Chiarelli. And there was no reason to bring him up in the first place. His stats didn't warrant it in Bakersfield.

Manning and Petrovic should be allocated very few minutes. If you were going to acquire these players you might have instead put Bouchard on the 2nd line with Klefbom for an offensive 2nd line pairing, and Russell and Benning on the 3rd pairing. Russell and Benning should never play the 2nd pairing. That's too much pressure for them. They play great together as a 3rd pairing.

Switching RNH and Draisaitl with McD is a good strategy when Draisaitl is in lazy mode. There is no denying that Chiasson has good size and produces with McD so I can't understand why they put Puljujarvi on with McD. Puljujarvi is a hopeless case: he's long, lanky and clutzy. He is not coordinated. Everything is happening too fast for him to process. He needs to be traded.

Prioritize what must be done. Get rid of these players first because they are costing the Oilers the most (someone has to make up for them)....

Brodziak -13 (old man)
Puljujarvi -12 (clutzy)
Lucic -9 (demented sasquatch)

The lines should be as follows (do not play Brodziak ever, his slowness, like Letestu, has cost Oilers too many games)...

RNH - McD - Chiasson
Rieder - Draisaitl - Rattie
Kassian - Khaira - Yamamoto
Lucic - Cave - Puljujarvi

The players that are costing the Oilers most should be put on the 4th line and given very few minutes. When they do get some ice time they have to fight 110%.

Nurse - Larsson
Klefbom - Bouchard
Russell - Benning

Yes, it is true, Bouchard is not ready, but he is needed on the power play with Klefbom, McD, Draisaitl, and RNH. Front load this this line!