What's key to a complete 'two-way' season for Oilers captain Connor McDavid?

Edmonton’s Oilers face a central question as new coach Mike Babcock works to fix the team’s defensive play: how can captain Connor McDavid deliver a “two-way” season without sacrificing the chemistry that made him and Leon Draisaitl dominant? The Athletic’s fan survey points to a split philosophy. While management appears to favor playing McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line at 5-on-5, 74% of respondents preferred the two elite centers on separate lines in even-strength play. The piece notes McDavid’s ranking at No. 1 in The Athletic model (+29.5, 27.6 from offense) and compares his best defensive season in 2016-17—when McDavid and Draisaitl with Patrick Maroon generated 2.32 GA-60—to recent factors like injuries.