Mike Babcock's Oilers are 14-3-3 after 20 games and first in the NHL
Under Mike Babcock, the Oilers are 14-3-3 after 20 games, first in the NHL, with Connor McDavid on pace for 200 points.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Under head coach Mike Babcock, the Oilers are 14-3-3 after 20 games and sit first in the NHL. Babcock said 20 games is a real sample, though he cautioned that the team has a long, long way to go. Babcock was hired June 23. His first game as coach came Sept. 20, a 5-2 win over the Jets in which newly acquired Shea and Formenton stood out.
The Oilers have taken four points from two recent wins, 3-1 over the Rangers on Monday and 3-2 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. The team has three regulation losses across the 20 games.
At this pace the team is on track for 124 points, Connor McDavid for 200, Evan Bouchard for 120 and Leon Draisaitl for 74 goals. Goaltending, with Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry, is on pace for a top-five NHL save percentage.
The club is playing without much of its depth. Frederik Andersen, Matt Savoie, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Zach Hyman, Jason Dickinson, Mattias Janmark, Ike Howard, Colton Dach and Devon Levi are all injured or missing significant time.
Babcock's approach is defence-first and structured. McDavid says the team understands how it wants to play and that there is still a level it has not reached. Mattias Ekholm pointed to the penalty kill as an area still needing work.
The Oilers have a road trip coming up.
How long can the Oilers keep this pace with Andersen, Hyman and Nugent-Hopkins out?
When do the injured players return, and who fills the gap until then?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
