Oilers' Leon Draisaitl On Mike Babcock: 'Exactly What We Need'
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl knows that Mike Babcock isn't loved by everyone in hockey, but he doesn't care, and is ready to play for the controversial coach next season.
"I think he's just going to bring a different attitude and a different mentality to our group," Draisaitl said, according to NHL.com's Shawn P. Roarke. "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."
"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. "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."
The Oilers made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances with Kris Knoblauch but fired him following an early exit last season.
Draisaitl knows the Oilers needed to make drastic changes this summer, and feels hiring Babcock was exactly what the doctor ordered.
The Oilers were judged by the rest of the NHL, as Babcock most recently was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets and didn't even coach a game, after it came out he was asking for players to connect their phones to a giant TV, so he could go through their camera roll to ensure they were behaving. Wild stuff, and it's still a very bold move by the Oilers to bring Babcock back to the NHL, but Draisaitl feels the craziness is behind him.