There’s a lot to unpack when Edmonton Oilers ’ coach Kris Knoblauch says he plans on having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl play together, not as his 1C and 2C to start the season and, forgive us if we hesitate to hold the boss at his word with all the machinations with 97 and 29 over the years.

After all it’s Sept. 23, not opening night Oct. 8.

But, the reasoning may be as simple as this.

(1)The Oilers need to get off to a good team start after stumbling badly out of the gate the past two seasons, starting 0-3 last October (outscored 15-3), and going so badly in 2023 that Jay Woodcroft (3-9-1) got canned for Knoblauch. The nuclear option is usually employed at 5-on-5 for McDavid and Draisaitl when Oilers are sucking exhaust early in games or when they are trying to climb out of a

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