BLOG: Oilers begin to arrive in Edmonton for informal skates

EDMONTON, AB – Following a short summer brought on by their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the slow-but-steady return of Oilers players to the ice this week in ICE District is a tell-tale sign that a new season is right around the corner.

Leon Draisaitl was the latest Oilers skater to return to the ice for informal skates on Thursday morning at the Downtown Community Arena, fresh off signing his eight-year extension with the club on Tuesday that will keep him in Edmonton until 2033 while making him the highest-paid player in the League ($14 million AAV) next summer.

• FEATURE: Leon locks in for eight more years in Oil Country

The German had a chance to connect and develop some early on-ice chemistry with off-season signing Viktor Arvidsson, who's expected to begin the season as one of Draisaitl's wingers on the second line with another summer addition in Jeff Skinner.

Draisaitl will travel to Las Vegas next week with Connor McDavid for the NHL's Player Media Tour before returning to Oil Country to begin taking part in Training Camp later this month.

McDavid has yet to return to Edmonton to begin skating and is currently in Vail, Colorado for another training camp, saying in a recent interview with Sportsnet's Mark Spector that he's adjusted his training regimen this offseason after feeling the effects from a long season in '23-24 that lasted from the start of 'captain's skates' on Sept. 5, 2023 to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on Jun. 27, 2024 – approximately 296 days.

“I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” McDavid said in the interview. “In years past, it's just been very volume heavy, Very go, go, go. Throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. That strategy, as well as it's worked for me, I think about the beginning of last year. I was just very tired and fatigued from a long summer of training, and was not feeling very good on the ice. And it translated.”

The Oilers started last season 2-9-1 after having the whole team in town after Labour Day Weekend last year to begin 'captain's skates' and McDavid is hopeful that less of a front-heavy schedule this year will help them kick off the year on a stronger note.

"You don't necessarily need to peak Sept. 18, but you need to peak for Oct. 9 when the first game is,” he added. “This summer I took some time off the ice, rested a little bit. I was working hard off the ice, but I didn't go on the ice until August. Five great weeks on the ice, and I'm feeling good and ready to roll again.”

Thursday's informal session was also the first look at players like defenceman Josh Brown and forward Matt Savoie in Blue & Orange following their summer acquisitions by the Oilers, while forward Noah Philp, who returned to the organization following a hiatus from pro hockey last season, has been skating with the group all week.

Centre James Hamblin has been wearing his new No. 52 on the back of his helmet – a number change made by the 25-year-old to match the age of his mother Gina, who passed away from cancer on Sept 5, 2017.

Among the other Oilers skaters who've already returned to the city and taken part in informal skates this week include Mattias Ekholm, Zach Hyman, Darnell Nurse, Troy Stecher, Corey Perry and Derek Ryan.