Edmonton Oilers show off new-look lines as training camp opens
Training camp has arrived for the Edmonton Oilers, and so has a new-look lineup.
The headlines around day one of camp will ultimately circle around new head coach Mike Babcock taking the reins, but that shouldn’t distract from the action on the ice. Now that Babcock has taken over, it appears he has wasted no time in crafting a new set of forward lines and defensive pairs to start camp.
Players took to the ice in two separate groups during day one in downtown Edmonton. There were a lot of combinations between those two groups, but it was easy to pick out which lines were getting an early look for opening night.
The forward group was headlined by a top line that saw Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl skate together alongside Vasily Podkolzin in the first group, while the defensive corps saw a surprising top pair of Ryan Shea with Evan Bouchard.
So if we are to read into lines on day 1 of #Oilers training camp, it appears the is the NHL group as of now is:
Podkolzin-McDavid-Draisaitl
Howard-RNH-Hyman
Frederic-Dickinson-Kapanen
Joseph-Dach-FormentonShea-Bouchard
Walman-Murphy
Ekholm-MukhamadullinWill it stick?
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) September 17, 2026
Moving down to the second line, it appears that Isaac Howard will be getting an early look in the top-six, as he skated on the presumptive second line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman. Jake Walman and Connor Murphy, meanwhile, were together on what could be assumed to be the Oilers’ second pairing.
Jason Dickinson was in his usual spot, centring the third line, with Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen on his wings.
The most shocking move is how Babcock is handling Mattias Ekholm at the start of camp. The veteran Swede has been a staple on Edmonton’s top pair for several years now, but he was skating on what appeared to be the Oilers’ bottom pair on Thursday, alongside Shakir Muhamadullin.
Rounding out the forward group was the controversial Alex Formenton alongside Colton Dach, who was trying his hand at centre, and newcomer Mathieu Joseph.
It remains to be seen whether or not these line combinations stick, and if we’ll see them during the Oilers’ preseason opener against the Winnipeg Jets at Rogers Place on Saturday.