Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Tuesday he expects to open the season with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same line.

Knoblauch said he remains open to splitting the duo, but Trent Frederic will get the first crack at playing on a line with the two superstars. He added that Frederic has never been given a top-six opportunity and he wants to see what the 2025 trade-deadline addition can bring.

The head coach also argued that putting McDavid and Draisaitl together could allow other players to find more natural roles.

“When they are playing together you get a lot more out of the rest of the three lines,” Knoblauch explained. “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 (separately), there isn’t much ice time left for the third and fourth lines and often they feel left out.

“But with Connor and Leon playing together it allows those three lines to stay in the game, play their regular shift more often and they also get to play more to their identity. If you have a guy who maybe isn’t a top-six guy but he is playing with Leon or Connor you kind of have to play to a top-six line identity, even if that isn’t part of their game.

“By playing Connor and Leon together the other guys play to their identity and maybe you get more out of them. We saw it last year with (Ryan) Nugent-Hopkins when he was playing with (Vasily) Podkolzin and (Viktor) Arvidsson, they were putting up as much offence individually.”

Knoblauch added that being without winger Zach Hyman for the first month of the season due to a wrist injury sustained in the playoffs played a role in his decision making.

Nugent-Hopkinsspent Tuesday’s practice as the team’s second-line centre and Knoblauch said that will be his role as long as McDavid and Draisaitl remain together.

Don’t be surprised to see 97 and 29 together early this season while Hyman is out. Frederic getting the look on the wing with them right now. RNH at 2c, and we’ll see what else from there as camp goes on.

— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) September 23, 2025

The Oilers kick off the 2025-26 regular season against the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8.