Mike Babcock didn’t waste much time turning a morning skate question into a little theater.
The Edmonton Oilers coach, who has already produced a handful of memorable lines since taking over behind the bench, was back at it Thursday morning after practice. The setup came from TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, who appeared ready to needle Babcock about arriving on the ice later than most of his players. He opened with, “I’m not trying to create any problems here, Mike,” and Babcock immediately jumped in.
“No, you are, let’s be honest,” said a smiling Babcock. “The more problems you create, the more clicks you get.
You and I know that. Now let’s get through the bullsh*t.
What do we got?”
Babcock then explained why he showed up later than most of the group for morning skate. His answer pointed to a detail inside the room and, in his view, a small sign of how things are going for Edmonton right now.
“It’s interesting, because it was the first time since I’ve been here, [Connor Murphy] and [Evan Bouchard] were still in the room… I went with the last guys and [we] were five minutes early, not 20 minutes early. But I appreciate a good tightening.”
The Oilers’ start has given Babcock plenty of room to joke around. Edmonton sits first in the Western Conference with 25 points through 16 games, and the mood around the team has clearly followed the results. Compared with a season ago, this group looks like it’s enjoying the rink a lot more, and Babcock has been part of that tone.
There will almost certainly be tougher stretches ahead, but for now, the Oilers are giving their fans exactly what they want: a team playing at the level everyone expects, and a coach who isn’t shy about showing a little personality along the way.
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Now comes the part that will test whether that bounce-back was real or just a brief reset. The Rangers are headed into a difficult road trip against several Pacific Division teams, and their margin for error is thin if the scoring from key players does not pick up and the defensive support in front of the goalies does not tighten up. For a team trying to steady itself, the next stretch could say a lot about how much trouble this group is really in. [Read more 🡒]
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Kucherov Buzz Ignores One Huge Oilers Problem
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The problem is that the fit is not nearly as simple as the buzz suggests. Edmonton would have to navigate a roster already built around expensive core pieces, limited flexibility and the kind of asset cost that comes with chasing a player at Kucherovs level. Even before the trade price is sorted out, the Oilers would have to ask whether they can realistically make the money work without boxing themselves into an even tighter corner down the road. [Read more 🡒]