Draisaitl couldn't say enough good things about new Oilers coach Babcock
Leon Draisaitl is ready to watch Mike Babcock work his magic with the Edmonton Oilers.
Oilers players have arrived in the Alberta capital and have been taking part in the annual captains’ skates at Rogers Place this week. Among the players taking part are the team’s leadership group, with all of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Evan Bouchard back in town.
This will be the last few skates before training camp officially opens and Babcock laces up the skates for the first time as Oilers head coach. There has been a lot of anticipation for that moment, as the 63-year-old hasn’t coached an NHL game since 2019.
There have been questions all summer as to how the Oilers will handle Babcock’s harsh coaching style, but it seems like Draisaitl can’t wait for the new coach to get to work.
“It’s been great so far. He’s been awesome with us,” Draisaitl said of Babcock after Thursday’s skate. “He’s been communicating really well, and I’m excited to learn from him. I think we’re all extremely excited to be around him and get to work.
“He’s just so clear. He knows what this team needs, and he doesn’t shy away from telling you straight to your face. He’s a real man about it, and we’re all men in here, and we all want to win; we’re all here for the same reason. I think he’s going to be great.”
"We want more short summers, but this one might have came at the right time."
Leon Draisaitl spoke on Thursday about the benefits the #Oilers can take away from an extended offseason.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/Qt8rv7TlBJ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 10, 2026
While there’s been plenty of skepticism outside the team about whether Babcock was the right choice for the Oilers, it seems as though the players are fairly convinced. Draisaitl seemed genuinely excited to see the veteran coach finally get into action, and those are sentiments that have been shared by other players over the offseason as well.
McDavid joined Draisaitl in the Babcock praise following Wednesday’s skate.
“There’s been good conversations, lots of conversations throughout the summer,” McDavid said of his new coach. “It’s all been very positive, very good. Everything’s in a great place coming into camp.”
"Guys have really put their egos aside & are here to win."#Oilers Captain Connor McDavid spoke with the media following today's informal skate to discuss a variety of topics.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/2KRbptnizQ
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 9, 2026
Everybody is saying the right thing, and Edmonton’s brightest stars seem to be genuinely optimistic about Babcock. The real test, however, will start once training camp officially gets underway later this month.