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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Connor McDavid is not one to hand out compliments lightly. So when the Oilers captain describes his club's offseason moves as "exciting," Edmonton sits up and takes notice. The official NHL.com 32-in-32 series preview, published this August 11, paints a picture of a team that has chosen to reinvent itself after a brutal second-round elimination in the 2025 playoffs. With Mike Babcock at the helm and two new goaltenders in the crease, the Oilers are banking on a shock to the system.
Babcock's shadow looms over the locker room
The choice of Mike Babcock as head coach surprised more than a few observers last June.
The choice of Mike Babcock as head coach surprised more than a few observers last June. The former Detroit and Toronto coach, known for his sometimes abrasive rigor, had not coached behind an NHL bench since 2019. McDavid, however, publicly supported the hiring even before summer camp. "It's a new identity, and I'm fully on board," he said in late June in an interview with Yahoo Sports. The tone is set: no more overly permissive transition hockey, but rather a defensive structure that Babcock has been drilling since his first days at Rogers Place.
The roster has followed suit. The Oilers targeted two key positions: the crease and defensive depth. Frederik Andersen, pried away from Carolina, brings his experience of 500 NHL games and a career save percentage above 0.915. Devon Levi, 24, arrives from Buffalo with raw potential but an explosiveness that won over the general manager. Behind them, the blue line still leans on Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard, but Babcock now demands a more compact backcheck from the wingers. The coach also stresses a man-to-man coverage system in the defensive zone, a philosophy that contrasts with the zone coverage too often broken down last season. Locker room veterans, led by Nurse, have spoken of practices more physically demanding than anything they have experienced since the Todd McLellan era.
McDavid, the clock is ticking
McDavid's new contract, signed in 2025, runs through 2028 but includes an out clause in the summer of 2027. In other words, Edmonton has two seasons to convince its jewel that the Stanley Cup is attainable here rather than elsewhere. The pressure is all the greater because Leon Draisaitl, the other offensive linchpin, is also approaching the final year of his current deal.
The 2026-27 schedule offers a start built for confidence: the first six games pit Edmonton against Pacific Division rivals, including a trip to Vegas and a home game against Seattle. A fast start is imperative. The reshaped roster should allow Babcock to deploy three balanced offensive lines, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as the pivot and a third line bolstered by the returns of supporting players.
Last season, Edmonton finished with 41 wins and 41 losses, a mediocre record for a contender. With Andersen in goal, the team hopes to cut its goals-against total by twenty. If Babcock can impose his stamp without stifling his stars' creativity, the Oilers could once again become the West's bogeyman. The answer begins on October 8 against Calgary. McDavid, for his part, has already chosen his side.