Oilers Loading Top Line with Superstars

Since they’re both centers, McDavid and Draisaitl don’t often share a line at even strength. Pairing the two has usually been a last resort option for the Oilers. The two play extremely well together but putting them on the ice at the same time makes the Oilers’ lineup top-heavy.

For years, the Oilers have struggled with offensive depth, and keeping McDavid and Draisaitl separated has helped mitigate those issues. Heading into the 2025-26 season, however, the Oilers don’t have much choice but to pair their top stars.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun noted that the Oilers will be without star forward Zach Hyman until November.

“I think there’s a couple of things that went into this decision,” LeBrun said. “One is that, let’s just call it for what it is, especially with Zach Hyman out until November, the Oilers are so thin in their top six.”

The Oilers don’t have many top-six forward options outside of McDavid and Draisaitl. With Hyman on the shelf, they have to flex from names around just to get a jump in the top of their lineup.

Alongside McDavid and Draisaitl is bruising forward Trent Frederic, who has 109 points (55G-54A) in 338 career games.

The Oilers second line could see Ryan Nugent-Hopkins centering Kasperi Kapanen and Isaac Howard.

LeBrun also mentioned that this could be a morale-boosting move for the superstar duo.

“Last year, Connor McDavid got of to, by his standards, a bit of a slow start,” LeBrun said. “With everything surrounding the team and McDavid’s future, I think Kris Knoblaugh just wants those two big guys to feel good about their game.”

McDavid is eligible for a contract extension, but pen is yet to be put to paper, forcing many to wonder if his days with the Oilers are numbered. The future may be foggy for McDavid, but he’ll at least get the chance to play with Draisaitl and produce highlight-level offense to kick off the season.