Edmonton Oilers

Draisaitl Offers Up an Uneasy Dose of Reality for Oilers Fans

Leon Draisaitl was asked about learning the new system under MIke Babcock and warned it could take time for the Oilers to get caught up.

by
NHL Trade Talk
September 25, 2026

After Friday’s full-roster practice, Leon Draisaitl was asked about preparing for opening night of the 2026-27 season and how much more work the team might need to do to feel ready. Suggesting that there is going to be an adjustment period, fans might want to get use to the idea that the 3-0 preseason record might not be a hint at how effective the team might be out of the gate.

“You’ve got your group together, and now you really got to dial in those little details,” Draisaitl said when asked about having the regulars on the ice and the rest of the prospects at camp now with their respective teams. “There’s not a lot of time left, we got to get on it.”

Like every other team in the NHL, the Oilers have had a short camp and preseason. They’ll play the last of their four preseason games on Saturday night when they take on the Calgary Flames. Unlike many teams in the NHL, the Oilers are trying to learn an entirely new system on the fly. They’ve got a new coach and a new way he wants to do things. Getting it down cold takes time.

“We’re probably not going to be at 100 percent. We’ve got a completely new system, new players, new coaching staff, so it’s going to take a little bit of time.” Not worry, however. Draisaitl believes the Oilers can still pull out wins, even while they’re trying to navigate playing Babcock’s style. “You can get by the first couple of weeks by having a system in place and doing it right, and competing and outworking teams. With time, we’re obviously going to get better and better at what we’re doing. Yeah, we’ll see.”

The Oilers, to a man, have all talked about getting off to a better start this season than they have in seasons past. The first couple of months have been taken for granted. The group does not want to repeat that bad habit. These comments from Draisaitl don’t refocus that narrative, but they do bring a dose of reality to the situation. It might not be all smooth sailing for the Oilers to start the season.

“We haven’t had much time to work on it. We need to take the next couple of days to dial it in, get back to our patterns and what we want to accomplish.”

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