EDMONTON — Mike Babcock opened Oilers camp with a familiar pairing at the front of his plans: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are expected to begin the season on the same line when Edmonton faces the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 29.
That much is settled for now. The winger beside them — and the shape of the next two forward units — remains open as Babcock gets his first close look at the roster. After Thursday’s opening on-ice sessions, the new Edmonton coach said McDavid and Draisaitl will start together, while health, camp performance and fit will determine the remaining spots.
The McDavid-Draisaitl question has followed the Oilers for years. Coaches have alternated between loading up one dominant unit and splitting the two superstars to give Edmonton more punch through the lineup. Babcock becomes McDavid’s sixth coach since the captain entered the NHL in 2015-16. For Draisaitl, he is the seventh coach in Edmonton and the ninth of his NHL career since his 2014-15 debut.
Babcock said he sees McDavid and Draisaitl as players capable of carrying their own lines, and added that Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has that ability as well. Rather than making permanent decisions on Day 1, he wants the players’ habits and production to guide the process. In his view, the group will reveal which combinations work and which players earn greater responsibility.
Draisaitl said continuity would be welcome after frequent changes to Edmonton’s forward groups in recent seasons. Still, he acknowledged that the final calls belong to Babcock and his staff as camp unfolds.
Details set the camp standard
Babcock’s first practice behind an NHL bench since his dismissal by the Toronto Maple Leafs 23 games into the 2019-20 season was not built around offense alone. He put particular emphasis on Edmonton’s work away from the puck, conditioning and clear responsibilities for all 12 forwards.
The Oilers are chasing a Stanley Cup they have not won since 1990, and Babcock made it clear that roster spots will come with demands. Every player must understand his role, meet the fitness standard and contribute when the team does not have possession.
At 63, Babcock arrives with 700 regular-season victories over 17 seasons with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings and Maple Leafs, placing him 12th in NHL history. He coached Detroit to the 2008 Stanley Cup and led Canada to Olympic gold in Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014.
His message in Edmonton is that structure creates room for elite talent. When players know their assignments and where teammates are positioned, Babcock said, stars have more space to operate. When that organization breaks down, the ice closes quickly.
Draisaitl felt the edge of that approach immediately. He described Thursday’s work as intense and energetic, with Babcock demanding that drills be completed properly rather than merely completed. The German center said the details were evident throughout the building and viewed the opening session as a strong start.
For Draisaitl, the camp focus fits what Edmonton needs after small habits slipped at times over the past few years. He said the daily work — practice pace, defensive details and consistency from one game to the next — must become the foundation for the Oilers’ larger championship pursuit.
