The Edmonton Oilers are entering the season with plenty of optimism, but one experiment is already raising questions.
Mike Babcock continues to explore the idea of playing Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together, while also testing players such as Colton Dach and Trent Frederic at centre.
On paper, giving McDavid and Draisaitl more time together sounds tempting. The bigger question is what happens to the rest of the lineup when they are on the same line.
The situation becomes even more interesting with Jason Dickinson dealing with another setback.
After missing 18 games last season and 23 the year before, his availability is becoming an important factor in Edmonton's centre depth.
That leaves Babcock with some intriguing options.
Josh Samanski appears to be on the outside looking in, while Owen Michaels has continued to impress and has earned praise from Babcock.
The coach recently called Michaels “beyond smart” and said he has been involved in the good clips every night.
Then there is Colton Dach.
Babcock clearly likes what Dach brings and is giving him a chance down the middle, but the experiment remains questionable.
Dach has shown more natural effectiveness as a winger, where his size and physicality can make a bigger impact.
The Oilers are coming off a perfect 4-0 preseason, but their centre situation could quickly become one of the biggest questions surrounding the team.
If McDavid and Draisaitl stay together, Edmonton may eventually need to find another legitimate second-line centre.
If they are separated, the Oilers could have more flexibility to address their top-six elsewhere.
For now, Babcock is testing the limits of his options - and opening night will begin to show whether this experiment actually works.
The early results could force Babcock to make a quick adjustment.
If the centre experiment starts creating problems at five-on-five, Edmonton may have little choice but to rethink the plan before a small concern becomes a bigger issue.
Will Mike Babcock eventually abandon the McDavid-Draisaitl experiment?
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