Early returns suggest Mike Babcock has already stamped the Edmonton Oilers with his presence. The start has been strong, the players are buying in, and the change showing up on the ice is hard to miss: more effort, better structure, and a sharper edge in their own end.
Sean Avery, speaking on ON Everyday, put it bluntly about what Babcock did for him and his AHL teammates: “He taught us how to work.” That’s the kind of response coaches chase, because none of it happens unless the room is actually listening.
Babcock’s ability to grab attention starts with how he carries himself. The source material points to his interviews, where he has repeatedly checked whether reporters are paying attention and has called them out when something nearby becomes a distraction. The message is pretty straightforward: stay locked in, because that’s the standard he expects from everyone around him.
He also doesn’t leave much room for confusion. When practice or a game has gone sideways, he says so.
When a new player has stood out, he says that too. One quote from the source captures that approach neatly: “He was really good at painting a clear picture on how he wanted us to play and what guys’ jobs were.”
The larger case for Babcock is built on the body of work behind him. He has won a World Junior Championship, a World Championship, a World Cup, two Olympic gold medals, and a Stanley Cup. The source also notes that the idea he had been away from the game too long doesn’t really hold up, given that he stayed connected through his son, who coaches in the OHL, and through friendships with several NHL coaches.
That preparation showed up immediately when training camp opened in Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl described the first practice this way: “It was great.
It was intense. He’s energetic.
He wants things done a certain way and he wants them done right. I think anyone in the building could hear it and probably see it, but it’s great, the details are great.
He cares about the little things, so it was a good first day.”
And beyond the intensity, the source says Babcock brings a real feel for the game. He doesn’t just arrive with a system and stick to it; he adjusts.
Coaches and players cited his ability to see the game differently and make changes from game to game and in-game. Sidney Crosby described that side of him this way: “Really good bench management when it comes to matching lines…just a feel for the game.”
In Other News...
Oilers Suddenly Have Questions Their Record Was Hiding
The record still looked shiny, but the performance in Toronto did not. Edmonton was hammered 7-2 by the Maple Leafs, taking its second regulation loss of the season and exposing some early cracks in a start that had largely masked those issues. Leon Draisaitl scored twice to keep the Oilers from being completely swallowed up, but the night also featured goals from former Oilers Jack Roslovic and Troy Stecher, a reminder of how quickly a game can tilt when the margins are thin.
The bigger concern was how little resistance Edmonton offered in its own end, especially with defensive breakdowns piling up and certain line combinations struggling to find their footing. Tristan Jarry had a rough night in net as Toronto kept finding space and finishing chances, leaving the Oilers with more questions than answers as they try to sort out whether this was just one bad result or the first clear sign that their early success needs a closer look. [Read more 🡒]
Former Oiler Jack Roslovic Is Suddenly Becoming A Problem In Toronto
Jack Roslovic did not linger long in Edmonton, but his next stop has quickly turned him into a nuisance for the Oilers' fan base from afar. Since landing with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the former Oiler has piled up 10 points in 12 games, a sharp enough burst to make his early run in Toronto look like more than a hot streak. Roslovic has also pointed back to his time with Edmonton as part of the reason his approach has sharpened, crediting what he learned there with helping him settle into a better daily standard.
For Edmonton, the bigger picture only gets more complicated because Connor McDavid keeps operating at another level entirely, sitting on 31 points in 10 games and threatening one of those seasons that gets talked about for years. And while Roslovic's form in Toronto is the immediate sting, the broader conversation around player movement is also getting louder, with some NHL players privately believing teams should have more control when trade requests enter the picture. It is the kind of debate that only gets louder when a former Oiler starts producing for a rival and reminding everyone how thin the line can be between a departure and a regret. [Read more 🡒]
Babcock Just Called Out What Really Doomed The Oilers Against Toronto
The Oilers 7-2 loss to the Maple Leafs was the kind of night that leaves little room for soft explanations. Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard all chipped in offensively, but Edmonton was still buried by Torontos pace, structure and edge, with the defensive side of the puck never finding a foothold. Tristan Jarry got the start in goal and gave up six, adding to a game in which the Oilers simply could not keep up.
What stood out afterward was not just the margin, but the familiar frustration around the effort level. Mike Babcock took aim at the teams compete, saying the standard against a team like Toronto should have been obvious from the opening puck drop. For an Edmonton group trying to establish consistency, the concern is less about one ugly result than whether this was an isolated lapse or another reminder of how quickly things unravel when the urgency disappears. [Read more 🡒]