Draisaitl says new Babcock will hold him, McDavid accountable

MUNICH -- Leon Draisaitl said he believes new coach Mike Babcock will help the Edmonton Oilers find their collective game this season, something that eluded them last season.

The Oilers forward points to Babcock’s ability to coach high-profile players with the Detroit Red Wings when they won the Stanley Cup in 2008 and his adeptness at managing Team Canada, which had a roster loaded with egos.

“I think he's got a very clear plan, and I think he holds guys accountable, and I think to him, it's not about who it is when it comes to accountability, you know?” Draisaitl said at the European Media Player Tour on Friday. “Like, we're looking to be coached. We're looking to get better. and I sometimes deserve (to be yelled at) too, just like anyone else does. I don't think 'Babs' is going to care overly much who we are in terms of that. I think sometimes that's needed.” 

Babcock, who also led the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim to the Stanley Cup Final in 2003 and the Red Wings to the Cup Final in a repeat bid that fell short in 2009, won Olympic gold twice with Canada (2010 and 2014) but has not coached in the NHL since being fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs 23 games into the 2019-20 season. 

The Oilers (41-30-11) finished second in the Pacific Division last season but were ousted by the Anaheim Ducks in six games in the Western Conference First Round after reaching the Stanley Cup Final each of the previous two seasons.

“I do think that we never were able to really grab and find our game throughout 82 games," Draisaitl said, "and you see it every year, the teams that are good, there's a pattern that they create and build over 82 games. They know what their game is. And I think we kind of missed that. We never really found what we were as a group.”

Edmonton struggled with consistency last season; it didn't win three straight games in regulation until Jan. 24-29 and put together a five-game winning streak from March 24-April 2, but otherwise was not able to string any kind of run together. 

Draisaitl said it wasn’t even the results as much as it was an absence of comfort in the way they were playing the game.

“It's frustrating, for sure, because you're trying,” Draisaitl said. “Everyone's trying. It's not a lack of trying. Everyone wants to do the right things.” 

Then, hobbled by injuries in the postseason, including Draisaitl and McDavid playing at less than 100 percent, they bowed out to the upstart Ducks.

“I'd like to believe that if we're fully healthy with our top three centers, that we can beat the Anaheim Ducks," Draisaitl said, "but at the end of the day, they were better than us, and they deserve to move on.”

All of that led to changes within the organization during the offseason. 

Coach Kris Knoblauch was fired on May 14. Nine days later, the Oilers hired Babcock, who has 700 wins, 12th in NHL history.

“I think he's just going to bring a different attitude and a different mentality to our group,” said Draisaitl, who said he has spoken to Babcock multiple times this offseason. “I think it's exactly what we need right now. I think he's going to bring something different, a different look. Everyone's very excited about it and looking forward to working with him.”

The roster also looks different.

Veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse was traded to the San Jose Sharks on July 1, ending an 11-year tenure in Edmonton. Goalie Frederik Andersen was signed as a free agent on July 1, 17 days after winning the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes. 

“It's a change, got some new faces,” Draisaitl said. “Some guys that have been there for a long time unfortunately left. Sometimes, change is needed and for both sides. I’m excited and looking forward to for the year.”

Draisaitl had 97 points (35 goals, 62 assists) in 65 games last season after registering at least 106 points the previous four seasons, including an NHL career-high 128 points (52 goals, 76 assists) in 80 games in 2022-23. Three seasons earlier, in 2019-20, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the League's leading scorer and the Hart Trophy voted as NHL most valuable player with 110 points (43 goals, 67 assists) in 71 games.

In part, Draisaitl is looking forward to this season because he is fresh. He says he's healthy and has been working hard, trying to find the positives in a longer-than-hoped offseason.

After playing into the second half of June during each of the past two seasons, Edmonton was done on April 30. 

“You try to take the positives out of it,” Draisaitl said. “Obviously, you want to be playing, but, you know, it was good timing for us to get healthy and have some time and some rest.”