Oilers opening roster: McDavid‑Draisaitl super line shines amid lingering doubts

The Edmonton Oilers will start the season with a strong but incomplete opening‑night roster, as injuries to several veterans have created short‑term opportunities further down the depth chart. Mattias Janmark, Matt Savoie, Frederik Andersen, Alec Regula and Jason Dickinson have all landed on injured reserve, leaving room for younger and fringe players to stick around as the team waits for a full lineup.

Supercharged top six and defined fourth line

Head coach Mike Babcock has leaned into the idea of loading up a super line, keeping Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together at even strength. With a complementary winger, that trio has the potential to sit among the league’s most dangerous if it stays intact over 82 games. The expectation is that Edmonton will eventually look outside the organization for a right‑shot second‑line centre to preserve that combination rather than breaking it up.

Behind the marquee unit, Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent‑Hopkins form a legitimate top‑six pairing on the second line. Kasperi Kapanen opens the year alongside them with a chance to outperform expectations if he holds that spot. If Kapanen proves he can keep pace in that role, it would be a sign that Edmonton’s top‑six depth is in better shape than it appeared after last season’s disappointment.

Lower in the lineup, the fourth line has a clear identity: a physical young centre between two fast, defence‑minded wingers. Alex Formenton and Mathieu Joseph both bring speed and penalty‑killing ability, while Colton Dach’s faceoff results will go a long way in determining whether that trio can tilt the ice in its limited minutes. Max Jones, meanwhile, benefits from the injuries up front and hangs on as the 13th forward.

Unproven 3C, mobile blue line and unsettled crease

The biggest early gamble up front is at third‑line centre, where Owen Michaels steps straight into the NHL without any pro experience. He projects as a player who could one day handle that job, but on a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, depending on a rookie at 3C — and Colton Dach at 4C — is a risk. Once healthy, Dickinson is expected to reclaim the third‑line role, with management continuing to hunt for a right‑shot centre to shore up the middle.

On defence, the Oilers’ top seven blueliners share a common trait: they can all move the puck. From Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard through Jake Walman, Connor Murphy, Ryan Shea, Shakir Mukhamadullin and Ty Emberson, there are no pure “glass‑and‑out” defenders in the group. Spencer Stastney begins the year as the eighth defenceman, available to step in if injuries hit.

In goal, the questions are more pointed. If Babcock’s system tightens the defensive environment, Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi may provide enough stability for the team to gain confidence. But if there is early turbulence, it is unclear whether Jarry can single‑handedly buy time, or if Levi — with 39 NHL games on his résumé — is ready for a major workload. Andersen, still rehabbing, remains an option but carries a lengthy injury history, and as the assessment bluntly puts it, goaltending in Edmonton will remain a concern “until it’s not.”

Cap flexibility and expectations beyond a division title

One advantage for Edmonton is future flexibility under the salary cap. Barring a major run of new injuries, the club is projected to have room by March to add at least one impact piece, possibly two. The key variable will be whether Babcock can install a more disciplined defensive posture without dulling an attack that remains the backbone of the roster.

Even with the uncertainties at right‑shot centre and in net, this opening roster looks strong enough to contend for the Pacific Division’s regular‑season crown. Internally, however, the bar is set much higher. After a forgettable 2025‑26 campaign, this group will ultimately be judged on what it does in the playoffs, not on another banner in the rafters.