Connor McDavid could open the season beside Leon Draisaitl as Mike Babcock prepares to reshape the Edmonton Oilers' forward lines.
Training camp opens Thursday, giving Babcock a compressed window to settle combinations before Edmonton begins its regular season against Vancouver on September 29.
The biggest decision sits at the top. McDavid and Draisaitl have often driven separate lines, but Babcock appears willing to explore loading them together when matchups give Edmonton an advantage.
Vasily Podkolzin looks like the natural third piece. He has already skated with McDavid and Draisaitl during captain's skates, giving Babcock an early look at a heavy, skilled first unit.
That decision would push Ryan Nugent-Hopkins back to centre, where he could anchor a second line built around Zach Hyman and Isaac Howard.
Howard may have the biggest opportunity of anyone entering camp. With Matt Savoie injured, the young winger has a clear path toward top-six minutes if he handles the pace and responsibility.
Mike Babcock has several lineup calls to make
The projected third line carries a different identity. Jason Dickinson is expected to centre Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen, creating a unit built to handle difficult minutes while still generating offense.
Dickinson's role looks particularly secure after Edmonton acquired him with the expectation that he would stabilize the middle of the lineup. Kapanen, meanwhile, enters camp with momentum after a strong playoff run.
Frederic has more pressure attached to his spot. Edmonton needs more consistency from him, and a dependable third-line assignment would give him a clear opportunity to reset.
The fourth line could become the real training-camp battle. Alex Formenton, Colton Dach and Mathieu Joseph headline one projected combination, but none should expect the job to be handed over without competition.
Dach is especially interesting because a return to his natural centre position could give Edmonton another option down the middle. His preseason work could decide whether that experiment lasts.
Joseph's NHL experience gives him a strong case for the final wing spot, while Formenton brings speed that could fit a limited bottom-six assignment.
Nothing is locked yet. But Babcock's willingness to start with McDavid and Draisaitl together would immediately reshape every line behind them - and make Edmonton's first training camp under its new coach worth watching closely.
Should Mike Babcock keep Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together?
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