We don’t know about Mike Babcock and the Oilers roster yet, but do know that veteran coaches tend to act in a specific way. Trust the veterans, use ice time as a hammer, establish roles for each member of the team and motivate. B flat and follow the changes. Please read this.
We don’t have many veteran coaches to look back on as it pertains to the McDavid-Draisaitl Oilers, but we do have Todd McLellan. He worked with Babcock in Detroit, and many of their priorities are a match.
In the fall of 2017, the veteran coach held a practice that suggested he was done experimenting with youth and the time had come to set sail with a working unit of four lines. Here’s what I wrote about each line on September 29, 2017, with an update for each line.
Line 1: Patrick Maroon—Connor McDavid—Leon Draisaitl. Everyone loves it when the band gets back together. Todd McLellan talked about this alignment being more about ‘the other three lines’ and that’s telling in its own way. History teaches us NHL coaches don’t piss around a week before opening night, if there’s experimenting then there’s doubt. I believe this could be the opening night No. 1 line.
Note: This line did start the season together, playing 15:19 opening night. They delivered 18-5 shots, 2-0 goals and 81 percent expected goals. Edmonton won 3-0; this line had a major impact on the result. All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick.
This could be the route Babcock goes in Edmonton this fall. The Glimmer Twins with Zach Hyman or perhaps Vasily Podkolzin would be the closest equivalent. I remember Babcock talking about McLellan’s handling of McDavid’s deployment back around this time (2017 fall). He said something about playing him too much, and Babcock has used that theme in discussing the Oilers for 2026-27. Probably a curio, but worth remembering as we count down the hours to preseason.
Line 2: Jussi Jokinen—Ryan Strome—Drake Caggiula. Strome at center gives the lineup all kinds of options, this line is an interesting idea. Jokinen is a possession demon and Caggiula can forecheck very well. I hope we see this Saturday night.
Note: This was the No. 2 line against Calgary opening night. The trio played 8:49, posted 7-4 shots, no goals and 57 percent expected goals.
Ryan Strome was a good center, a righty who gave them team a 200-foot player to help with the chores. Why he was sent away, heaven only knows. Caggiula would score 13 goals, Jokinen was dispatched to the Los Angeles Kings for Mike Cammalleri. I think we’ll see some trades this fall, as Babcock sifts through the lineup looking for chemistry and players who fit his style.
If we’re going to think along with Babcock here, there first chore is finding a Strome on this roster. The closest I can see? Nuge, but he’s older now. Josh Samanski? I don’t know he can score enough points. Jason Dickinson is a pure shutdown center. Can you see the Strome light on this roster?
Line 3: Milan Lucic—Ryan Nugent-Hopkins—Kailer Yamamoto. If this holds true, the teenage phenom not only won an NHL job but a feature role in the top 6F. It also suggests his trial run with 97 showed KY was unready for the top line. That too may come to pass.
Note: Line 3 on October 4, 2017 played just 5:55 together, going 2-3 shots, no goals and 30 percent expected goals. Yamamoto was flushed from the trio, with Kassian stepping in. That version of the third line delivered 3-0 shots, 100 percent expected goals in 5:48 (all numbers five-on-five and via Natural Stat Trick).
Yamamoto kept falling down the depth chart that fall, and was back in junior after just nine games. The practice of bringing in kids a few months after their draft day wouldn’t stop with Yamamoto, but it was on the downbeat and that was a good thing.
The line that would most resemble this one today would be Trent Frederic-Nuge and then Ike Howard (in the Yamamoto slot) or Kasperi Kapanen (in the Zack Kassian slot) but it’s a little askew either way.
Line 4: Jujhar Khaira—Mark Letestu—Zack Kassian. The one line that appears completely set. We’ll see how they shine, things may change once Anton Slepyshev gets healthy. For now, Jujhar Khiara won the day.
This line was wildly effective in 5:04, going 6-3 shots, zero goals and 51 percent expected goals. I remember liking this line, Mark Letestu was an underrated player in this city. Zack Kassian moved up during this game, but fourth line was about right for him at this point. He would hitch a ride to the McDavid line in due time. Jujhar Khaira was a blast to watch, loved his game and his family story. An absolute load for opponents.
This year’s version of that line would surely be Colton Dach-Josh Samanski-Trent Frederic, and I do believe we might see that line opening night.
Extra/AHL: Iiro Pakarinen—Chris Kelly—Jesse Puljujarvi. This isn’t the line you want to be on less than a week from the start of the season. I believe Pakarinen is on the roster but after that it is less clear. The Oilers could sign Chris Kelly, keep Kailer Yamamoto and send Jesse Puljujarvi to Bakersfield. It would mean 50 contracts and likely a trade to make room eventually, but the team can run at 50 if they choose.
Puljujarvi played 65 games that season, Pakarinen got half a season and Chris Kelly would land with the Anaheim Ducks. Todd McLellan placing Yamamoto above Puljujarvi was a tell. Neither man was ready, but the fact Edmonton tried so hard to shoehorn them into the lineup was another tell. Peter Chiarelli pretzeled the roster to acquire Milan Lucic and it cost him Taylor Hall and at least on Stanley.
What can we learn from this? I think it’s possible we see Draisaitl-McDavid-Savoie, Podkolzin-Nuge-Hyman, Joseph-Dickinson-Kapanen, Dach-Samanski-Frederic opening night. I don’t believe it is optimal.
On the Lowdown today, Bagged Milk from Daily Faceoff Edmonton will join us to talk about major news coming out of the site. We’ll also talk Oilers and the large number of free agents still available. Elks, NFL, Jays and more, too. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
Oilers reasonable expectations 2026-27.
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7504771/2026/08/12/edmonton-oilers-reasonable-expectations-2026-27/
Kudos on your fair record of calling things over the years, LT.
I’m going to say that, if the team plays a more structured possession game, McD’s points will increase over last year. By my understanding of the numbers, the Capt’s most productive run in 2025-26 occurred during that anomalous Nov 26-Dec 25 period when the team was fully on board for 220-ft hockey. More of that kind of play will net McD more possession in the O-zone, more goals, more points, better goal/shot share, and more team wins.
I don’t disagree, I don’t see why playing a better structure, both as a group and as individuals, is often equated with lower scoring.
For me, it should mean having the puck more – by managing the puck and pressuring to get the puck back.
Just one example would be the presumption that every forward, including the likes of McDavid and Hyman in particular, will be tasked with stopping on pucks in the defensive zone and battling to retain possession – not trying to tap the puck ahead and jump for a fast break. Maybe there is the odd fast break they don’t get but they will get the puck back alot more.
I expect Trent Frederic to blow 8G and, in particular, 16P out of the water.
Part of ‘reasonable’ is putting significant importance on the previous season. Frederic’s four goals in 74 games is the biggest drag on a projection I can recall.
I acknowledge what he did last season (and didn’t do) and I reasonably expect him to blow last season’s outlier out of the water coming off a real off-season of training and healthy.
I would note your reasonable projection for Jarry includes an apx 35 point bump in save percentage from the previous season.
Jarry’s Pittsburgh numbers impact his projections.
These are all entirely too reasonable.
I’m expecting at least one player to unexpectedly pop 20. I’ll say this player is Kasperi Kapanen.
Frederic has better produce early or he’ll be a frequent HS based on the competition that surrounds him.
Condors sign six AHL deals:
F Ethan KeppenF Simon TassyF Hunter JohannesF Josh DaviesD John GormleyD Zach Bookman
i presume more ECHL than AHL games coming from this group.
The one thing this team as mentioned by LT is that RHC. I too couldn’t understand why in the day Ryan Strome was moved on from. So for fun I scoured team by team for possible targets that might make a difference on this roster today. I have five names in no particular order. Mark Kasterlic, Ryan Hartman, Josh Doan, Shane Wright & Kirby Dach. Two names actually have come up on the trade block , Wright & Dach. I think Seattle wants something outlandish for Shane Wright but Kirby Dach might be worth the gamble seeing as his brother is already looking like a nice fit somewhere on the opening night lineup.
Bowman will grab Kirby at the deadline if the cost is low. You never wish for an injury or for a player to struggle yet if either one happens to Kirby he will be cheap and had by his first G.M that believed in him. A Colton-Kirby-Clattenburg line will have fun against the Tkachuk-Bennett line this spring. Babcock will not allow Maurice to dictate the physicality of Match 3 this Spring.
I was thinking something more along the lines of Dach-Dach-Savoie. Three local lads from St.Albert.
I’ll scour the hockey world for a player named Goose.
Fun times.
Is this close enough?
High time he converted to a winger to fulfill his destiny.
Savoie would have loads of room to operate. I thought Savoie had brick hands but he’s kinda growing on me. He would score 20 with the Dach brothers and 5 more on the PK
https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/maple-leafs-name-patrick-osullivan-director-of-nhl-development/
P.O.S. for D.o.P.D.?
O.K., T.O.
I really thought Gagner-Brule-O’Sullivan were going to be the the next wave that guided us to the playoffs with a shot at it.
Some poor luck involved there.
Gilbert Brule’, #6 overall draft pick looked like he was going to pop, maybe circa 2009-10, then fell off in a big way. I liked the player and hope he’s doing well.
Remember him picking up a hitchhiking Bono in Vancouver?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN3_6AYCT24
Getting traded to Edmonton seemed to break O’Sullivan. He was never quite the same and wasn’t the player the Oilers thought they were getting from LA.
Sam Gamgee? I love that guy. I’d like to see him back with the Oilers in some capacity. Player development seems like a natural fit for a guy like Sam.
Ha. I just checked. Sam is the D.o.P.D. for the Senators.
For some reason hiring ex-oilers that loved Edmonton and the franchise came across as nepotism. All I know is if we hired Guérin instead of Bruins-Peter Red Wing-Holland- Black Hawk-Bowman we would be realistically going for 3-4 Cups instead of the Sun Belt teams. If I ever sat down and had a coffee with MacTavish first question wouldn’t be about the Cups it would be how in the hell did you get suckered in by the sales pitch of Dallas Eakins.
You can blame Kevin Lowe for the contempt the rest of the Boys on the Bus drew from Oilers fans.
The worst press conference performance ever?
Probably not, but man, that was ugly. Split the entire fanbase into tiers of Oilers fans and nothing has ever been the same.
And MacTavish can bear some of the blame, too. He loved to talk to reporters… could not help himself. I can think of two players off the top of my head that MacTavish ruined with a couple of words.
J. Schultz – surefire Norris candidate
D. Dubnyk – If you have to ask the question…
Boom. Wrecked the both of ’em.
The Red Wine Summits didn’t look very good on Gretz, Coffey and the rest.
But at least Paul Coffey’s coaching has helped to improve his image.
I believe MacT’s worlds on Schultz were “Norris Trophy potential” – truth be told, he finished, I believe, 7th in Norris voting one year in Pit.
Don’t forget “We’ve challenged Jeff Petrey!”
Yeah, that was another winner.
Sheesh!
As Patty Dachs driver of the Supremacy bus;
Dach/McDavid/Draisaitl.. there’s a chance, brand new Big Rig on the lot.
Podz/Nuge/Hyman.. Forechecking demons with a witch. Nuge will be healthy and make some folks eat their words.
Savoie/Samanski/Howard.. soft minutes feasters, should be able to responsibly play the game and win their goal share.
Joseph/Dickinson/Frederic.. toughest minutes in the league, can they Holdor?
and where exactly is kapanen in this line up.
With Savoie & Samanski possibly?
I am hopeful that both Frederic and Dach can earn 3rd line minutes and be impactful in an NHL third line.
Frederic has history doing exactly that but Dach is trying to establish himself as an every day NHL player at this point. I hope Dach can sustain his style and stay healthy.
Babcock will mold Dach accordingly as for Frederic we are going to see how vital that one extra step that he’ll have on the forecheck. Frederic has a decent shot believe it or not that one extra step is the difference for his success. I’m super stoked about our bottom 6 I do believe Bowman has given Mike enough talent-options for our bottom 6 to not only be a threat to score but be over 50% in goal share.
Babcock if more of a 1-2-2 guy than a 2-1-2 guy. The goal is turnovers at the blueline rather than turnovers deep.
I think it has more to do with having the lead. Red Wings always seemed to of had the lead and puck possession against a vast majority of the league. It all goes back to Sutter whose puck possession teams won with less talented personal.
Other than leading by example and being a locker-room cheerleader (so to speak), what is the actual job of the team’s captain? I suspect he is, but I honestly don’t know… is Connor a good captain?
Connor is a very super focused individual so is Leon-Hyman-Nuge-Nurse-Ekholm-Bouchard. I think Perry was loved for his antics on and off the ice. Every team needs a class clown and a couple off asshats to balance out the super focused.
The uncertainty is a breath of fresh air for the time being. They have their experienced coaching staff and the players will have to adapt accordingly.
With a new coach it’s a fresh slate every bottom 6 player is going to be playing for Mikes approval. More minutes means more points, more points means more moolah, more moolah means more attractive wife, more attractive wife means more children, more children means more ———
Im super excited this team going to do damage this year.
Damage, yes, but to whom? Other teams or themselves?
At some point, one would think that one would start to get over the loss of Broberg and allow honest evaluation of subsequent good work by the general manager.
What good work?
As currently constructed, the entire bottom 6 of the roster scored a total of 24 goals last season.
please let the adults discuss and don’t interrupt
Good Grief, if you cannot acknowledge any positive moves since August 2024…… Podz trade, Kane trade, Podz re-sign, Roslovic sign, Nurse trade, Kap re-sign, Shea sign, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.
So we will see as the season progresses who has the cajones to own their words and who doesn’t. If it works out as the Oilers expect it to those who mostly baselessly criticize should find the dark bird and have a bite. Or we know they just like to look on the dark side of life and only want to poop on things
— pretty clear confirmation of what a few suspected: it was always going to be Holland based on more tidbits in press that say all Oil had to do was wait another week or two and they would have permission to interview Cassidy.
sequence of events now clear :
1) Stauffer mentions very early that Babs is available to butter up fan base.
2) Oil continue to DD him and let it be known that Cassidy isn’t available to further butter up fans
3) in background NHL doing their stuff and Oilers get their. guy.
— this is always the Oiler way : lock in before process on who they want. Pretty much guaranteed this is what happened and a few have speculated this. Now more crumbs
— had to reset my password. Weird.
— Freudian slip! Yes it was always going to be Holland too (and Chia and Todd McL, and and…) but I am referring to Babs obv…
— I’m not as confident that Babs will be a disaster as am that it wasn’t legitimate process but still pretty confident it won’t work
— But I’m wrong a lot and we don’t know so :
LFGoilers!
Is this tidbit any more than Rod Pederson?
I would suggest that its FAR from official that Vegas would have permitted Cassidy to join the Oilers.
I would further add that I can’t imagine VEG being above saying anything, anything at all, after the fact.
What I think this vet coaching staff will do, in particular with only 4 exhibition games, is use camp to get this team ready. We know there will be major structural and system changes and this looks to be in all zones and all situations (except maybe PP1). I think this coaching staff will get the team set early and will use camp and the games to teach and for the players to learn and, of course, see the combos and pairings they plan to use.
The 3 goalies are set. The 7 D are set. 11 of the 13 forwards are set. Injuries notwithstanding on the forgoing. There is no time for tryout, they will get this team ready to go.
This, of course, has to be tempered by the fact that the veterans can only be played in 2 games and the probability that they will play in the last exhibition game.
For sure, that is correct but the presumption is the line rushes in camp practices and the PK drills and the systems drills are done with intent of what they will deploy to start the seaon.
McDavid, Draisaitl, Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman, Podkolzin, Savoie, Dickenson…I count seven forwards as set, on merit. Frederic, because of his contract, makes it eight.
Don’t kid yourself the whole roster is already set. They won’t be messing around this year.
Locks for the roster:
McDavid
Drai
Nuge
Hyman
Podz
Kap
Dickinson
Savoie
Frederic
Dach
Sorry, I meant 10 locks with 5 players vying for the 3 remaining spots, as I’ve been saying for months (Joseph/Jones/Janmark/Howard/Samanski)
Babcock likely already knows which 3 he will have on his roster (subject to injury).
The players have to be able to play his system. To be hard on the puck all over the ice. No player in the bubble seven (apart from Frederic, who will be sat in the pressbox if required) is a sure thing, until they demonstrate they can adequately play Babcock’s 1-2-2 pressure the puck everywhere system.
I’m confident all the listed professional, in the 10 locks and 5 bubbles, can play the system implemented by the head coach.
All 10 I listed make the team on merit.
Frederic will be set up for success much better now than a year ago – obviously.
OilersNation with a tidbit that David Lewandowski‘s coach said he’s not returning to Saskatoon.
Yesterday, Stauff asked Guy G. if Penn State has recruited an Oilers draft pick and he wouldn’t say as he can say anything until there is an official commitment.
I wonder…….
We have certain things that we thing will happen based on prior history, Hyman with McDavid, Ekholm and Bouchard, Podz with Drai but, truth be told, we may have zero idea what Babcock plans.
We know that he is studying the league and his players in order to finalize the details of the structure he plans to implement. I’m sure part of this is looking at what combos have worked together on the team in the past but, for all we know, Hyman anchors a third line for example.
We are a top 10 team that may catch lightning in a bottle with new coaching, several key additions on D and in goal. When we won our last Cup I knew that the Ranford magic playoff was not repeatable. Forty six years later we are due for some luck this year with Babcock seemingly being Bowman and possibly Connor last chance. I’ll never take a top 10 chance for granted as darkness may loom on a club for 20 plus years. With better goaltending and PK anything is possible this year.
Ranford was not a flash-in-the-pan in one playoffs. He delivered elite goaltending for a decade.
I don’t know who Duncan Dalmao is but he’s been added to the Condors’ coaching staff.
https://echl.com/news/2026/08/dalmao-named-assistant-coach-for-bakersfield-condors
Tks.
I believe they are a good team. I believe they have the talent to win. But, I don’t feel much excitement about this team, going into this season. With one exception: the possibility of watching Dach-Samanski-Frederic emerge as a thing of consequence.
I believe the reason for that is Mike Babcock. We don’t know what he’s going to do, so the entire process is in limbo. His verbal runs counter to what we thought (Josh Brown getting a chance to make the roster, running 97-29 together when there’s no obvious No. 2 center) so we’re left to reach the conclusion the coach is going to have to make mistakes and then set course by November 1.
I agree with you, that we don’t know what we don’t know with MB, and that him not knowing this roster is a big part of that. Which will leave many in Oilerville gnawing their nails.
My lack of enthusiasm, however, is more personal: I feel let down by team leadership (or lack thereof), certainly since Xmas 2025, and management, since the December trade, and especially after the Anaheim loss. My bad. The team leadership are just very young men with too many expectations laid onto their shoulders (my expectations among them). As for management, I’m new to the melodrama of Oilerville, so perhaps unprepared for how business is done here.
That said, I’ve been enjoying the way GMSB has been quietly building, and as much as I doubt the leadership of the Capt, I believe his commitment to winning here, with this group, to be solid.
MB is the wild card.
I don’t believe I’ve heard Babcock say anything about Josh Brown making the roster – that came solely for Stauff, right? Of course, Stauff is used to float things but not everything he puts out there is from the org.
Not to mention, Stauff walked back that comment on Brown and qualified it by saying if 2-3 d-man are moved out/injured – of curse, Brown is apx 10D on the depth chart until he’s “officially” passed by Carfagna.
Is playing McDavid and Drai together a black and white mistake? The prior coach put them together with little strategy. When down, put them together, run them every 2nd/3rd shift and, if they score, keep them together the next game. I presume this coaching staff will be more strategic, using them together more at home and doing so to take advantage of match-ups and situations – with strategy.
I am very excited, I mean, I get to watch a 29-30 year old Connor McDavid play nightly, right there, excitement.
I think this team has every chance to win the devision and to on a Stanley run – exciting!
Agreed. This team, and especially McD, will always be good entertainment. Also agreed: this team has the talent to win it all (as they have had for several years; last year I would say they lacked the will). My point is a personal one: I’m not feeling the excitement like you.