Connor McDavid Says the Oilers Need Consistent Lines This Season – The Hockey Writers – Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have spent plenty of time trying to figure out the best way to deploy Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. There have been many opinions in past years on whether the two superstars should play together or be split up onto two separate lines.

The case for having them together is that it gives the Oilers arguably the most dangerous duo in the NHL, one that can outscore the opposition regardless of who they’re matched up against. On the flip side, there are some concerns that it makes the Oilers too top heavy and results in their other three lines being rather unproductive.

McDavid Focused on the Ultimate Goal

It’s a debate that has followed the Oilers for years, and it will once again be something to watch when new head coach Mike Babcock takes over. McDavid, however, doesn’t seem overly concerned about which way the Oilers decide to go. Speaking to reporters earlier this week, the Edmonton captain was asked about what his personal preference would be.

“I think it’s just going to move in and out,” McDavid said. “I think it always kind of shifts throughout the year. You know how it goes.”

That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. McDavid and Draisaitl have spent plenty of time playing together over the years, but Edmonton has also had plenty of success with the two driving separate lines. There isn’t necessarily one correct answer, particularly over the course of an 82-game season.

“I think it always shifts throughout the year, you know how it goes,” McDavid elaborated. “I think this year we would like a little bit more stability, if that’s possible. But that being said, we understand that it’s always kind of a moving target throughout the year, and different situations require different lineups and different formations.”

The comment about more stability is particularly intriguing given how much line combinations seemed to flip-flop under former head coach Kris Knoblauch, particularly last season. It appears as though the constant changes frustrated not just the fan base but the players, with McDavid making it clear a second time that he’s hoping to see more consistency when it comes to forward groups.

“I think we’ve asked for that for a long time, is some consistency throughout the lines, building chemistry,” McDavid said. “It’s not easy to just jump around from spot to spot, guys switching positions, guys playing up the lineup, down the lineup, it’s hard. Mentally it’s hard, it’s hard to understand what your job is. I think we’re looking for some consistency throughout the lineup in terms of where guys are playing.”

Now, Babcock has been brought in to take over behind the bench, and one of his biggest jobs will be finding the right combinations throughout the lineup. That includes figuring out how often McDavid and Draisaitl should play together.

“That’s a coaching question,” McDavid responded when asked again about playing with Draisaitl. “My job is to play and lead and be the player that I am, do whatever’s asked of me. That’s my job.”

McDavid is also well aware of the fact that a big part of his job is helping the Oilers finally get over the hump and bring the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton. That is also the main goal of Babcock and the rest of the organization, as alluded to by McDavid himself.

“Guys are all in here. I don’t know how else to say it,” McDavid explained. “Guys have really put their egos aside and are here to win. That’s what we want, and we want a coach that matches our intensity and our energy and we feel that Babs does that.”

Pressure is On

As McDavid put it, this team is fully focused on winning it all this coming season. That’s been the goal for this organization for the last several years, though it’s yet to come to fruition. With McDavid and Draisaitl not getting any younger, the pressure is mounting on this organization to get it done. We’ll see if Babcock is the man to lead them to their ultimate goal, part of which will depend on how he chooses to deploy his two superstar talents.