Mike Babcock is walking into Edmonton with a reputation that usually comes with a short memory for comfort and a long list of expectations. For some Oilers, that means a fresh start. For others, it means the leash just got a lot tighter.
Leon Draisaitl is already on board with that reality. He said he expects Edmonton’s new coach to hold everybody accountable, no matter where they sit in the lineup, and he included himself among the players who sometimes need to hear it from the bench.
That matters because Babcock isn’t inheriting a roster where every role is set in stone. Some younger players - Colton Dach, Matt Savoie, Isaac Howard, and Josh Samanski - are still trying to carve out their places, and none of them should expect minutes to be given away. That part of coaching is nothing new.
The bigger question is how Babcock handles the veterans, especially the ones with established jobs. He has no reason to be tied to the roles they had before he arrived.
Trent Frederic is the clearest example. Edmonton brought him in for size and bite in the bottom six, but the conversation around him keeps circling back to what he isn’t doing.
That’s exactly the kind of thing Babcock tends to zero in on. Frederic needs to finish checks, get involved around the net, drive hard on the forecheck and be dependable enough that Babcock never has to hesitate before putting him over the boards.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is in a very different spot. He has played under just about every kind of coach during his time in Edmonton, and his ability to move up and down the lineup has always been one of his strengths.
He can skate alongside McDavid, shift to another line, kill penalties and stay important on the power play. Coaches trust him because there aren’t many situations where using Nugent-Hopkins creates a problem.
Still, Babcock isn’t going to care about tradition if he thinks someone else can do the job better in a given spot. With Savoie and Howard in the mix, he has options if he wants to shuffle things around.
Jake Walman also has plenty to prove. Edmonton made a major commitment to him, and he’s expected to be a significant part of the defence. Walman is strongest when he gets to the net front and blocks shots, but he doesn’t always like doing that.
Evan Bouchard is another player who figures to hear plenty from Babcock. His offence is a major part of what Edmonton does, but parts of his game can wear on a coach fast.
That’s why Draisaitl’s comments about accountability matter so much here. He said he doesn’t want Babcock ignoring mistakes because of the name on the back of the jersey, no matter how much leeway a player usually has.
And among all of them, Frederic looks like the player with the least margin for error. He doesn’t have Bouchard’s offensive value, Nugent-Hopkins’ versatility or the investment Edmonton has made in Walman. His place depends on doing the things that brought the Oilers to him in the first place - and those are the things he hasn’t done since arriving.
Draisaitl also pointed out that the Oilers never really found their game last season. The best teams, he said, develop a clear identity over 82 games and know exactly what they are.
Edmonton never got there. Babcock was brought in, in part, because the organization believes he can help fix that, and defining roles will be part of the process.
Some players will be able to ride out a rough week without much concern. Others will have somebody ready to step in the moment their game slips. Frederic is one of the players who will need to make sure Babcock never has much reason to look elsewhere.
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