Babcock Opens Oilers Camp With Emphasis on Details
Edmonton's new head coach opened camp Thursday with McDavid and Draisaitl together, a new partner for Evan Bouchard, and Tristan Jarry alone atop the goalie depth chart.
Mike Babcock ran his first practice as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, and the theme was set inside the first minute: details, and everyone having a job.
"What we're trying to do is send the message on how we want to play," Babcock said. "We've asked them to learn the details and then find your game within our game. So if you know the details and everyone's detailed, everybody on the team can be important. When you're not detailed enough, no one knows where to go. And only the best guys get to be important."
He was blunt about the conditions of employment. "We're going to play without the puck, and in order to play here, you've got to be fit. We're going to play 12 forwards, and everyone's going to be important."
Babcock opened with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together alongside Vasily Podkolzin, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins between Zach Hyman and Ike Howard. He plans to keep 97 and 29 on the same line to start. The third spots, he said, are open.
The bigger surprise came on the back end, where Evan Bouchard skated with newcomer Ryan Shea while Mattias Ekholm, Bouchard's partner for three years, worked with young Shakir Mukhamadullin. Babcock waved off the reading.
"Ecky's hanging out with Shaq because Shaq's a new guy," he said. "But there's no indication of what the pairs will be. Ekholm's a man. He's a real leader. He can help the kid get going."
Shea, who has 150 NHL games and turns 30 in February, has been let go in free agency by Chicago, Dallas and Pittsburgh. He averaged 16:27 of even-strength ice time with the Penguins last season. Bouchard led the Oilers at 19:15.
"It's just confidence," Shea said. "I know what I do well, and I'm sure the coaches have watched plenty of tape. I'll just play my role, whatever that may be."
In net, Tristan Jarry is the clear starter after Frederik Andersen was hurt this summer, with Devon Levi behind him. Jarry lost the net last season after an early injury and played one playoff game.
"It wasn't the ending that I wanted to my season," he said. "I just didn't really feel like myself."
