Takeaways From Oilers’ Head Coach Mike Babcock’s Introductory Press Conference

The Edmonton Oilers officially named Mike Babcock as the team’s next head coach on Tuesday (June 23). It was also announced that D.J Smith will be joining him behind the bench as an associate coach, and Paul McFarland will remain on the coaching staff. The Oilers held an introductory press conference to introduce the new hires and the process leading up to them. Here are the takeaways from that subsequent press conference.

Where Was Daryl Katz?

Notably absent from this press conference was Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz. Katz was heavily involved in the hiring process. It was reported that Babcock spoke with ownership, which was confirmed in this presser. Katz has the final say on any decisions made. After the team fired Kris Knoblauch, Katz is on the hook to pay his remaining salary over the next three seasons. He pushed hard for a coaching change, and he got his wish. This was a controversial hire, and the owner should’ve been there to answer questions. It’s disappointing that he wasn’t.

Babcock Had Zero Accountability for Past Actions

Babcock was asked about his experience in Columbus and why he resigned. Frankly, his answer was disappointing. He didn’t provide any insight into what occurred behind closed doors. He said he wasn’t a fit, and there was miscommunication. He also said his wife told him to retire.

“It was very evident before the year started, I hadn’t benched anybody, I hadn’t talked to anybody, I hadn’t sat anybody out, and it was evident that we weren’t together as a staff right from the get-go. My wife gave me a call, and she said it’s time to get out of there. I’ve been retired, and I was pretty good at it. I got back to being retired,” Babcock stated.

The bench boss was also asked if he believes he crossed the line. “No, to be honest with you, anytime you make anybody feel uncomfortable in your life, you should take a look at yourself, and you should say, ‘How could I do that better? I think that’s what you do as a person. You try to always be better at what you do. The situation in Columbus didn’t work out for us. We’re excited about making it work here.”

When the Oilers hired general manager Stan Bowman, his controversial past was discussed. However, Bowman took the steps to become a better person and rectify his wrongs. He was the general manager of the Chicago Blackhawks during the sexual assault scandal involving Kyle Beach and the video coach. Bowman has met with Beach numerous times and took courses to improve himself before returning to the NHL. He wanted to change, but the same can’t be said about Babcock. The new coach hasn’t done anything to show that he’s becoming a better person, and that’s troublesome.

Babcock Met With Some Players

It was confirmed that Babcock met with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Zach Hyman, and he discussed how that meeting went:

“The interaction with star players, who want nothing more than to win, and tell you how they’re willing to change and adjust to make that happen, is pretty exciting for a coach. I have to tell you, I went through in detail the changes that would have to be made for us to have success when it mattered, and when they said they were all in, like Stan said, the next step was to get together with the ownership group. It’s so important when you’re the coach with a general manager and a National Hockey League team that you’re all aligned. What I mean by that is there’s going to be lots of hard communication, but as long as that communication is straightforward and behind closed doors and respectful of one another, you have a chance to improve the organization and get better, and that’s what those four hours were. I was so impressed.”

Babcock made it clear that if the players weren’t 100 percent on board and bought in, he had no interest in coaching here. In the meeting, they walked through clips from the playoffs and broke down what went wrong. Babcock’s best attribute is his attention to detail, because he’s a systems-heavy coach, and the Oilers need that. Their structure needs drastic improvement, and the leadership group believes they will improve under Babcock’s coaching style. Everyone’s commitment to winning is evident, but now it’s time to prove that on the ice.

The biggest takeaway from the players’ perspective was the establishment of roles. “If you’re going to have success, all you have to do is watch what happened in this year’s playoffs. Everybody on that team must be important, right down to the guys that don’t play every single night, and the more depth you create and the more they feel important, the better chance you have to find success. I believe we’re going to empower all those players, and they’re going to love it as much as anybody,” Babcock said. The Carolina Hurricanes exemplified that better than anyone.

Previous coaches have always loaded up McDavid and Draisaitl when things weren’t going well, and that can’t continue. The fourth line constantly got under 10 minutes per game and didn’t have solidified roles. Hopefully, under Babcock, the ice time will be distributed more evenly, and the top guys’ ice time will be limited. The big guns played too much, and over the course of the entire season, that took a toll.

This press conference still leaves many questions unanswered. Hopefully, Babcock proves us all wrong, and he has a successful tenure. Keep following The Hockey Writers for all your NHL content throughout the offseason.