The Edmonton Oilers are starting the season with the Death Star line in tact.
Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday the team is planning to keep Hart Trophy winners Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the team’s top line while Zach Hyman recovers from off-season wrist surgery.
McDavid and Draisaitl, of course, have helped carry Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Final in consecutive seasons, even though they still lost to the Florida Panthers both years.
But McDavid, a three-time Hart Trophy winner and six-time finalist for the award, and Draisaitl, who has four straight 100-plus-point seasons and is 44 points shy of 1,000 points for his career, are two of the best offensive players of their generation.
Hyman sustained a dislocated wrist in in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Knoblauch: Playing McDavid, Draisaitl Together ‘The Plan For Right Now’
The line of McDavid, Draisaitl and rough-yet-skilled forward Trent Frederic debuted in Edmonton’s preseason win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
That also seems to be Knoblauch’s preferred trio for opening night when the Oilers take on the Calgary Flames in the first Battle of Alberta for 2025-26 on Oct. 8 at Rogers Place.
“This is what our plan is right now, but obviously that can change,” Knoblauch told NHL.com Tuesday. “We want to see what we have from everybody else, we want so see how guys mesh, and without Hyman we’re kind of maybe a little slim on having top-six winger talent.”
Knoblauch has been open with his desire to play McDavid and Draisaitl together because he believes it empowers the rest of the team’s forwards to not be participants rather than spectators of each uber-skilled players.
“I think for the most part, we can split them, or we can play them together,” Knoblauch said. “I think one thing when they are playing together, you get a lot more out of the rest of the three lines. That might sound a bit ironic, but the others get more ice time that is available when those two are playing 21 and 22 minutes [apart], there isn’t much ice time left for the third and fourth lines and often they feel left out.”
Frederic, the former rugged Boston Bruins wing who Edmonton acquired in a three-way trade March 4, has never scored more than 18 goals or 40 points. But he will get the first shot at playing with that duo. But Knoblauch is open to other players on that line.
“I know when I have Connor and Leon together you definitely have a line that you like no matter who else is on that line,” Knoblauch said. “Right now, we’re trying [Frederic] and it might be somebody else, but you know it’ll work, no matter who they’re with.”
Draisaitl ‘Excited’ To Play With McDavid
McDavid and Draisaitl have never had a problem playing together, so Draisaitl doesn’t anticipate any issues arising now.
“We’ve done this for 10 or 11 years now; it’s going to switch, it’s going to go back and forth,” Draisaitl said Wednesday. “I do think it’s easier to coach for him (Knoblauch) when we’re together to coach the bench. We’ve done this for so long, we know exactly how to flip flop back and forth if we’re together or apart.
“I’m obviously always excited to play with him. It’s always a pleasure to be on the same line as him, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Draisaitl is sure playing with McDavid is only temporary, since Hyman is supposed to be back about a month into the season.
“We’ll see how long it last or how the rest of the lines shape up,” Draisaitl said. “There’s some openings for guys to step in and grab it and take it and that’s what you’re looking for guys to push for that role or for [Hyman’s] role while he’s gone, so it’s always exciting to see how the team shapes up at the end.”
Oilers to Start Season with McDavid, Draisaitl On Same Line