EDMONTON, AB - Oilers Head Coach Dave Tippett checked in with 630 CHED Oilers Now Host Bob Stauffer on Monday from his home in Arizona for an update during the National Hockey League pause.
At the time of the League hiatus, the Oilers hold a 37-25-9 record through 71 games, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are first and second in League scoring with 110 and 97 points, respectively, and many other Orange & Blue team members have made major steps individually.
Among those players that have evolved their games are Ethan Bear, Kailer Yamamoto and Caleb Jones. The three former Bakersfield Condors have made their mark with the big club and left Tippett impressed by their play.
"There's no way you'd know that they're going to be that impactful," Tippett, looking back at Oilers Training Camp, started.
"When Ken (Holland) decided to buyout (Andrej) Sekera, one of those young defencemen was going to have to step up and get an unbelievable opportunity to do so. Bear was the guy right from Training Camp. I remember looking at him in Training Camp at the first session he was on. He was flying around, he was smiling, he was enjoying life. It was like he knew this was his time. You love to see a kid take an opportunity like that."
BLOG: Tippett praises play of young Oilers, provides outlook on playoffs
Hear what Head Coach Dave Tippett had to say about his club during the National Hockey League pause on 630 CHED's Oilers Now
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