Mike Babcock challenges McDavid, Draisaitl as Oilers coach gets blunt with stars
New Edmonton Oilers coach Mike Babcock told Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl they're part of the problem, signalling a willingness to confront the team's superstars.
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Mike Babcock is not afraid to get confrontational with Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The 63-year-old coach, who has built a reputation for being hard on players and making controversial decisions behind the bench, will start by challenging the team's best. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Babcock told McDavid and Draisaitl during their pre-hiring meeting that they are as much a part of the team's problems as anyone else.
"They basically admitted it, that Babcock challenged [McDavid and Draisaitl] and said, 'You guys are as much the problem,'" Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. "I thought reading McDavid's quote to Mark Spector, this team was really off the rails at the end of last year."
For years, McDavid and Draisaitl have appeared to call the shots regardless of who coaches the team. That dynamic, however, hasn't led to a Stanley Cup championship, and both superstars seem ready for a different approach. Friedman noted that Babcock's management of the power play could be an early flashpoint, as the coach has shown a willingness to deploy unconventional lineups in crucial moments.
"When it's a power play in the third period, and Babcock sends out the second unit, I think we're all gonna watch and say, 'How's this all gonna go?'" Friedman said. "That's why [Babcock] is there."
Edmonton has long held one of the best power play units in the NHL. How Babcock's potential interruption of that process will sit with McDavid and Draisaitl but the initial response from both stars suggests they welcome the accountability.
