- Leon Draisaitl says Oilers leaders grilled Mike Babcock before the hire, with nothing off-limits
- Edmonton signed off on Babcock in June after what Draisaitl called an honest, productive meeting
- Read below for what Draisaitl said about the risk Edmonton took on Babcock
Mike Babcock had to answer for all of it before the Oilers handed him the job.
Leon Draisaitl told The Athletic’s Chris Johnston at the NHL’s European Player Media Tour that Edmonton’s leadership group sat down with Babcock this summer and put every uncomfortable question on the table.
“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.”
Here’s Johnston with the story:
There was plenty to get through. Babcock hadn’t run an NHL bench since Toronto fired him in 2019, and the years since piled up allegations from former players including Mitch Marner and Johan Franzen.
His 2023 hiring in Columbus ended before he ran a single practice.
None of that took long to work through, according to Draisaitl.
“It was pretty clear pretty quick that he could be our guy. Just in what he sees, and his attitude towards us, you know, the leaders on the team that want to be coached and that want to be held accountable.”
Edmonton made it official on June 23:
Kris Knoblauch took the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals on a calm, steady approach, then watched last season flatten out. Edmonton went 41-30-11 and lost to the Ducks in six games in the first round.
Babcock will hold Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to the same standard as everyone else in the room, as Edmonton’s star put it last week. That is the point of the change.
Take a look at Babcock’s first day on the job in Edmonton:
The bigger fix, in Draisaitl’s view, is identity. He said the Oilers never landed on a version of themselves last year that held up for more than a stretch, the way Florida has and the way the 2024 Edmonton team did on its run to Game 7.
Getting there means the guys below McDavid and Draisaitl on the depth chart take on more, and it likely means both stars shave a shift or two off their ice time. McDavid led all NHL forwards at 22:59 per game last season. Draisaitl ranked fourth at 21:35.
Draisaitl was clear about what he wants out of the whole experiment.
“I play a team sport, and I want to be remembered as a Stanley Cup winner.”
The personal hardware is already in Draisaitl’s case. Babcock is the last idea Edmonton hasn’t tried.
