Connor McDavid steps onto Oilers ice this week under a new boss, and Mike Babcock already has a mandate: fix what broke last spring.
Edmonton finished 41-30-11 last season, good for 93 points and a plus-13 goal differential.
That record still left the Oilers ranked 14th overall in the league, second in the Pacific Division. So which version of this team actually shows up in October?
Babcock was hired on June 23, walking into a room that's been to two Stanley Cup Finals without finishing the job.
McDavid was still electric through the chaos. He put up 138 points on 48 goals and 90 assists across 82 games.
Leon Draisaitl matched him stride for stride, scoring 97 points in just 65 games, 35 goals and 62 assists.
Evan Bouchard quietly had a monster year from the back end. He racked up 95 points, 21 goals, and finished a plus-25.
Two injuries complicate Babcock's opening camp roster
Matthew Savoie is day-to-day with an undisclosed issue and isn't expected back until at least October 20.
Mattias Janmark-Nylen carries his own question mark too, day-to-day and labeled questionable for the start of the season.
Frederik Andersen is sidelined on that same Oct. 20 timeline, which pushes the net back onto Tristan Jarry early.
Jarry's numbers took a real hit last season. He posted an .882 save percentage across 33 appearances, and he knows it.
Handing a shaky goaltender the crease for opening month, while both your backup options nurse injuries, is not exactly a stress-free way to open a Cup chase.
It's like sending your fastest car into a road race with the spare tire already going flat before the green flag drops.
The Oilers closed last season on a hot stretch, winners of six of their last ten, capped by a 6-1 finale over Vancouver.
Whether that carries into Babcock's first regular season game is the only thing this camp will actually answer.
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Should Mike Babcock bench Tristan Jarry if his save percentage doesn't improve early?
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