Oilers put Colton Dach on IR, activate Jason Dickinson

Four games into the Babcock era, the Oilers already need the trainer's room as much as the depth chart. Jason Gregor put it bluntly.

Jason Gregor

@JasonGregor

Colton Dach moved to IR. Oilers injuries keep mounting.

Dach has been hurt since the Oct. 1 game against Vancouver. He left late in the 1st period after taking an awkward hit from Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn. The club confirmed the move Wednesday in Anaheim, listing it as an upper-body injury, so he sits on IR while Edmonton figures out how long he's out.

Dickinson, 31, is the good news. He missed the preseason and the first 3 games of the year after hurting his ankle late last season in San Jose, and he was slotted to center the 2nd line with Trent Frederic and Kasperi Kapanen in his debut against the Ducks at Honda Center. Babcock tried to keep expectations down, saying that anytime you miss camp and haven't played because of an injury, it's going to take you some time. Edmonton is bringing him back for his defensive responsibility and his ability to break the puck out, and with this roster that matters a lot.

The bigger story is what the injuries are doing to Babcock's plans for his 2 superstars. When he opened his first Oilers training camp in September, he said he'd start with McDavid and Draisaitl on the same line, and he admitted he didn't know who the 3rd piece would be or how healthy everyone would stay. His plan was to split them up on the road. That's gone now.

Jason Gregor

@JasonGregor

"Before the season started when we were healthy, I had planned to have them split up on the road, but now we'd like to have one (line) going so we will keep them together," Babcock on McDavid/Draisaitl. @Sports1440

That's an honest answer and a little alarming. Babcock is saying he doesn't have the bodies to build 2 real scoring lines, so he'd rather stack 1 and live with it. Every Oilers coach for more than a decade has argued about splitting McDavid and Draisaitl, and the usual reason to keep them together is that nobody else on the roster can carry a line. A depleted forward group in the first week of October is that problem showing up early.

Next up, watch Dach's timeline and how quickly Dickinson gets his legs under him. A healthy, effective Dickinson centering the 2nd line is the clearest way back to the split Babcock wanted. If he needs a few weeks and the injuries keep coming, McDavid and Draisaitl stay together on the road for as long as the medical staff says so.