How the Vegas Golden Knights should tackle the Edmonton Oilers this season

Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights shouldn't expect to beat the Oilers top six group

Yes, you read that right. The Vegas Golden Knights shouldn't expect to beat the Edmonton Oilers regarding the top six groups. As much as Jack Eichel and company can try to match Connor McDavid and his motley crew, the best they can do is match them. That's not bad considering McDavid is the best hockey player in the world and has the best sidekick in Leon Draisaitl. However, the war can be won on the lower lines.

That's where William Karlsson and his group come in. The Golden Knights have a solid bottom six group that features Karlsson and Nicolas Roy. The two round out a strong lineup in the middle, giving Vegas more balance and depth. There's also promising young stars like Alexander Holtz that give the Golden Knights a scoring touch.

While the Oilers are far more dangerous in their top six units, the Golden Knights carry more balance in their lineup and can show it. It doesn't matter if it's the defensive pairings or the fourth line. The other groups must win their respective battles to give Vegas a fighting chance. That means fighting for every puck and suffocating Edmonton on shooting lanes and scoring opportunities.