EDMONTON -- Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are expected play on the same line when the Edmonton Oilers open the season against the Calgary Flames at Rogers Place on Oct. 8.
With forward Zach Hyman still recovering from a wrist injury sustained in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars, Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday the two star forwards will likely play on the No. 1 line together to start the season.
“This is what our plan is right now, but obviously that can change,” Knoblauch said Tuesday before the Oilers traveled to Winnipeg to face the Jets in a preseason game, a 3-2 win. “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, and then you kind of have pieces and maybe you have two lines (third and fourth) that you don’t really like.”
Draisaitl had 106 points (52 goals, 54 assists) in 71 games and McDavid had 100 points (26 goals, 74 assists) in 67 games last season. The two have played together often over the past 10 seasons and are also effective centering their own lines.
“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.”
McDavid and Draisaitl made their preseason debuts in a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place on Wednesday. Forward Trent Frederic took Hyman’s spot on the top line alongside the two.
“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 after the morning skate 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.”
Hyman has been a fixture alongside McDavid since signing as a free agent in Edmonton prior to the 2021-22 season. He had 44 points (27 goals, 17 assists) in 73 games last season, and 77 points (54 goals, 23 assists) in 80 games in 2023-24. Hyman is expected to miss at least a month after dislocating his wrist on a hit from Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment on May 27. Hyman had surgery and missed the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Edmonton defeated Dallas in five games and lost to the Florida Panthers in the Final in six games.
“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.”
By playing McDavid and Draisaitl together to start the season, Knoblauch also hopes to get a better read on the rest of the forward group. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will center the second line and preseason will determine who will join him.
“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.”
Knoblauch said lining up beside McDavid or Draisaitl can sometimes take a player out of his comfort zone and keeping the two star players together takes some pressure off the rest of the forward group. The Oilers have a handful of new forwards competing for a spot on the roster.
“By playing Connor and Leon together, the other guys play to their identity I find that maybe you get more out of them,” Knoblauch said. “We saw it last year with Nugent-Hopkins when he was playing with [Viktor] Arvidsson and [Vasily] Podkolzin, they were putting up as much offense individually, just that they were able to play their game a little bit more.”
