Babcock details what fans can expect from Edmonton Oilers this season
The Edmonton Oilers have no shortage of star power, but new head coach Mike Babcock wants to make sure their success doesn’t rely solely on their biggest names.
Babcock has made it clear that he wants his team to play with structure, establish clear roles, and make every player feel like an important part of the lineup.
“We’ve asked them to learn the details and then find your game within our game,” Babcock said. “If you know the details and everyone’s detailed, everybody on the team can be important. Sometimes when you’re not detailed enough, no one knows where to go, and only the best guys get to be important.”
That emphasis on structure will extend to how the Oilers play away from the puck.
“We’re gonna play without the puck,” Babcock said. “In order to play here you’ve got to be fit, and we’re gonna play 12 forwards. Everyone is gonna be important. You have to have a role, and you have to understand what we expect.”
"We've asked them to learn the details & then find your game within our game. If you know the details & everyone is detailed, everybody on the team can be important."
Coach Babcock spoke with the media following Day One of #Oilers Training Camp.#Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/EwUdjdTEbC
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 17, 2026
For Babcock, establishing those expectations is particularly important for a team with as much star power as Edmonton.
The Oilers have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl leading the way, but Babcock believes bigger minutes for players, particularly bottom-six forwards, will help the team reach its ultimate goal.
“The star players want to be successful,” Babcock said. “In order for them to be successful, if you’re organized, and they know everyone is, they have way more room. If you’re not organized, they’ve got less room.”
Babcock also discussed his plans for managing McDavid’s workload throughout the season.
The Oilers captain has logged massive minutes throughout his entire career, but Babcock wants to make sure McDavid is fresh enough to be at his best on a nightly basis.
“We’re going to try to make sure [McDavid’s] minutes are reasonable so that he can play every night,” Babcock said.
That doesn’t necessarily mean reducing McDavid’s time on special teams.
“We’re not taking away powerplay time, and if we want him to penalty kill, that means we’re taking away 5v5 time,” Babcock explained. “But when you take away 5v5 time, now your third and fourth line get to play. We want everyone to play.”
Babcock said he and McDavid have already been discussing how to manage the captain’s minutes.
“Connor and I have been working on that and talking about that,” Babcock said. “We’ll get it all figured out.”
This is a breath of fresh air for Oilers fans to hear, though it can’t be forgotten that Babcock has always been regarded as a great talker. How things shake out once the 2026-27 season begins will be the telltale sign of what fans can expect going forward.
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