Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid, left, and Leon Draisaitl share a laugh during the NHL hockey team’s training camp in Edmonton, Alberta, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. (John Ulan/The Canadian Press via AP) Mike Babcock’s plans still center around Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and have already included the new coach offering a pointed response to the Oilers’ practice effort early in his Edmonton tenure. Babcock questioned the team’s overall intensity during Monday’s two-a-day sessions, pulling the top line after a brief shift.Babcock said the session wasn’t good enough and emphasised he wants the puck moving, players knowing their assignments and the team competing consistently. His comments come less than two weeks before the Edmonton Oilers open the 2026-27 regular season against the Vancouver Canucks on Sept. 29.
What happened between Mike Babcock and Edmonton Oilers stars?
The new head coach has made pace a big theme of training camp. Zach Hyman said before that the practices were quick, and Babcock’s drills were designed to shrink space and increase competition.Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have skated together all through camp, with Vasily Podkolzin filling out the top line for now. Babcock will start the season with the two Edmonton Oilers stars together, and the third forward is still up in the air, NHL.com reports.That would give Edmonton a top line that’s potent, with Babcock needing to determine if the other combinations will give him enough production and balance. Babcock said he will continue to look at the players before making a final decision.
How is Edmonton Oilers lineup taking shape?
Another notable combination has been forged during camp in Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman and Isaac Howard, with Jason Dickinson, Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen also getting a look together. Those combinations will continue to shift as the preseason unfolds.Babcock’s way is therefore not just about keeping McDavid and Draisaitl together. The staff is looking at how each line works, how they generate offence, how they compete without the puck and structure. Edmonton’s preseason schedule offers more chances to experiment with those combinations before opening night.The big story out of Edmonton’s NHL training camp is Babcock setting the tone with clear expectations on speed, execution and competitiveness. The coach has also built in some flexibility for himself, so McDavid and Draisaitl’s current line together shouldn’t necessarily be viewed as permanent.Now the Edmonton Oilers have to take what they learned in training camp and apply it to preseason games and eventually the regular season. Other notable NHL updates to watch for as September 29 approaches include the deployment of McDavid and Draisaitl and Babcock’s other lineup decisions.Mike Babcock has already set a high bar at Edmonton Oilers training camp for the team’s pace and compete level. Babcock is looking at supporting combinations, but McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have continued skating together on the top line. Edmonton’s lineup decisions leading up to the NHL regular season could be impacted by the coach’s approach.