Hyman sounds hyped to be reunited with Edmonton Oilers coach Babcock
The Edmonton Oilers are preparing for the Mike Babcock experience.
For many players on the Oilers, this will be their very first time having Babcock as their coach. The 63-year-old bench boss has gained a notorious reputation around the league as being hard on his players, but it sounds like that is exactly what Edmonton wants.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl already got a little taste of what Babcock is all about in a meeting with the coach before he was hired. There will be, however, a trio of players who have experience dealing with the controversial figure behind the bench.
All of Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, and Frederik Andersen played under Babcock’s watch while with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They each appear ready and willing to give it another go with the controversial coach.
Hyman, in particular, seems especially excited about the prospect, as he talked about what Edmonton can expect from Babcock during Tuesday’s edition of OilersNow with Bob Stauffer on 880 CHED.
“I think [Babcock] does a really good job in teaching,” Hyman said. “I think he’s first and foremost a very good teacher, and when you’re out on the ice, there’s no grey. It’s very black and white, you know exactly what you need to do, you know exactly what your role is, you know exactly how you need to impact the game.
“It’s just up to you to execute and not think about all the other things. I think that kind of simplicity really helps guys lower in the lineup… I think he’s able to provide that structure and that accountability from top to bottom, and I think it’s really going to be good for our group.”
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Hyman spent his first five NHL seasons with Babcock between 2015 and 2019 playing on the Maple Leafs. During that time, he established himself as a regular NHLer and seemed to get in the veteran coach’s good graces.
Much has been said about the meeting that Babcock had with the Oilers’ leadership group before getting hired. Hyman offered up his thoughts on that meeting and how he thought the process was handled.
“Having played for Babs, I was familiar with him, and I think that interview process was really good,” Hyman said. “It was really important for the players, the leadership group that were available, to go and speak with him, and to really understand what it was going to look like.
“Understand where we wanna go as a group of players, as a team, and what he can bring, and how that would change and affect our locker room and how it’d affect our on-ice play. I think everything resonated, and it’s a phenomenal fit.”
There was some worry that hiring Babcock would hinder the Oilers’ ability to recruit players this offseason, but that hasn’t been a problem so far. Hyman talked about some of the offseason moves that he thought were telling when it comes to Babcock’s reputation.
“I think it speaks volumes that you have guys coming back like Freddy Andersen and [Kapanen],” Hyman said. “I played with those guys under Babs, and they had great experiences too, obviously, to willingly choose to come back.
“I think we’ve had a phenomenal free agency too, with players choosing to come to Edmonton to try and win.”
Nobody on the Oilers should know what it’s like to play under Babcock more than Hyman, and it sounds like he is all-in for this reunion in Edmonton.