The Edmonton Oilers are facing a tough decision as they prepare to take on the Florida Panthers in an upcoming matchup. With superstar centers Connor McDavid and Aleksander Barkov both leading their respective teams, the Oilers may be looking for ways to strategically avoid a head-to-head matchup between the two dynamic players.

One potential strategy that the Oilers could employ is utilizing their advantage of having last change as the home team. In hockey, the home team is given the opportunity to make line changes after the visiting team has already made theirs. This gives the home team a slight advantage in being able to match up their players against the opposition in a more favorable way.

By taking advantage of last change, the Oilers could potentially avoid a McDavid vs. Barkov matchup by strategically deploying their lines and defensive pairings to counteract the Panthers’ top players. This could involve carefully monitoring when Barkov is on the ice and making sure that McDavid is not matched up against him during key moments of the game.

Additionally, the Oilers could also look to utilize their depth at center to help mitigate the impact of a potential McDavid vs. Barkov matchup. By spreading out their talent across multiple lines, the Oilers can create more favorable matchups against the Panthers and potentially limit the amount of time that McDavid and Barkov are directly facing off against each other.

Ultimately, avoiding a McDavid vs. Barkov matchup will require careful planning and execution from the Oilers coaching staff. By utilizing their advantage of last change and strategically deploying their players, the Oilers can increase their chances of coming out on top in their upcoming matchup against the Panthers.