Draisaitl: Oilers ‘looking to be coached’ by Babcock this season
One of the top stars in the game is embracing a change behind the bench, regardless of how controversial the decision is.
When speaking to the media during the NHL European Player Tour last Friday, Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was asked about his team’s decision to hire Mike Babcock as its new head coach, despite his checkered past.
Draisaitl admitted that Babcock’s approach to the position is something the Oilers need at this time.
“I think he’s got a very clear plan,” Draisaitl said. “I think he holds guys accountable, and I think to him, it’s not about who it is when it comes to accountability, you know? Like, we’re looking to be coached. We’re looking to get better, and I sometimes deserve (to be yelled at) too, just like anyone else does. I don’t think ‘Babs’ is going to care overly much who we are in terms of that. I think sometimes that’s needed.”
It was a rather shocking decision when Oilers general manager Stan Bowman revealed that Babcock would take over as the team’s bench boss, despite former head coach Kris Knoblauch seemingly losing his players’ interest, which resulted in a stunning first-round exit at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks.
Yet, the thought of bringing in Babcock, a man who resigned from his previous role as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets before even coaching a preseason game, amid allegations of invading players’ privacy, was eye-opening on many fronts. However, Draisaitl admitted that he and other players on the team spoke with Babcock before he was hired.
“We asked all of the hard questions that media would probably ask him, too…He had some very honest feedback on us, too. It was a very honest, productive meeting, and it was very on the table. There was no beating around the bush…He faced it great. It’s not easy sometimes talking about all of these things.”
Babcock takes over an Edmonton team that is two years removed from qualifying for the Stanley Cup Final in back-to-back seasons, losing to the Florida Panthers both times. Babcock has a championship pedigree of his own. He has coached three teams to Cup Finals, winning it all with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008. He has also shown he can handle star power, having coached Canada to gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics, as well as the World Cup of Hockey title in 2016. However, his mannerisms and criticism of his handling of players, including an infamous encounter with Mitch Marner as a rookie with the Toronto Maple Leafs, have left many worried about whether his methods have changed.
