McDavid, Draisaitl back on ice with Oilers for first time in Phase 2

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl skated with the Edmonton Oilers on Friday.

The forwards, the two leading scorers in the NHL this season, joined teammates at Rogers Place in Edmonton as part of Phase 2 of the NHL Return to Play Plan, which started June 8 and allows limited voluntary workouts with small groups at team facilities. McDavid had been in Toronto after remaining in Edmonton a few weeks after the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. Draisaitl recently returned from Germany.

The Oilers tweeted pictures of McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice. Forwards Zack Kassian and Tyler Ennis, and defenseman Darnell Nurse also skated for the first time Friday.

Draisaitl led the NHL with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games. McDavid was second with 97 points (34 goals, 63 assists) in 64 games.

Edmonton is one of 24 teams that will compete for the Stanley Cup. The tournament will begin with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which will include 16 teams paired in eight best-of-5 series and a round-robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Games will be played in two hub cities -- one for the 12 participating Eastern Conference teams, one for the 12 Western Conference teams -- but those locations have not been announced.

The Oilers (37-25-9, .585 points percentage), the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, will play the Chicago Blackhawks (32-30-8, .514), the No. 12 seed, in the qualifiers. The winner will advance to the playoffs, and the loser will have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery.