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....