{"id":16005,"date":"2026-08-24T13:10:27","date_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=16005"},"modified":"2026-08-24T13:10:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-24T13:10:27","slug":"edmonton-oilers-why-is-leon-draisaitl-backing-mike-babcock-as-edmonton-oilers-head-coach-for-2026-27-nhl-season-nhl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=16005","title":{"rendered":"Edmonton Oilers: Why is Leon Draisaitl backing Mike Babcock as Edmonton Oilers head coach for 2026-27 NHL season? | NHL News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133466806,imgsize-119876,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/leon-draisaitl.jpg\" alt=\"Why is Leon Draisaitl backing Mike Babcock as Edmonton Oilers head coach for 2026-27 NHL season?\" title=\"Leon Draisaitl trade rumors (Getty Images)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Leon Draisaitl trade rumors (Getty Images)\">Leon Draisaitl trade rumors (Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/leon-draisaitl\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Leon Draisaitl<\/a> has spoken out in support of Mike Babcock ahead of the 2026-27 <a href=\"http:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/nhl\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NHL<\/a> season, making his position on the new Edmonton Oilers coach clear. \u201cBabcock is a direct coach and holds players accountable, and that is something Edmonton needs,\u201d Draisaitl said during the European Player Media Tour.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>The Oilers dismissed Kris Knoblauch after they lost to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs and brought in Babcock. Edmonton had reached the Stanley Cup Final the past two seasons, and the shakeup behind the bench was a major storyline heading into the new campaign.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"7\"\/><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2><b>What Leon Draisaitl expects from Mike Babcock\u2019s Edmonton Oilers<\/b><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Leon Draisaitl expects Mike Babcock to bring accountability, structure and a different mentality to the Edmonton Oilers.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>Babcock has a plan; he\u2019s going to hold guys accountable regardless of who they are, Draisaitl said. <!-- -->The Edmonton star also confessed that sometimes the best players require tough coaching.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>After the 2025-26 regular season, in which Edmonton struggled to establish a consistent identity, that approach feels especially important. The Oilers finished 41-30-11 and were second in the Pacific Division but lost to the Anaheim Ducks in six games in the Western Conference First Round.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>Edmonton will try to get back into Stanley Cup contention, and Babcock is expected to emphasise structure, consistency and responsibility. The coach is a long-time NHLer, winning a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and playing 700 regular-season games, the 12th most in NHL history. He also won two Olympic golds for Canada.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h3><b>Why does the Babcock hire matter for Edmonton?<\/b><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a huge undertaking to maximise the Oilers\u2019 championship window around Leon Draisaitl and <a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/topic\/connor-mcdavid\" styleobj=\"[object Object]\" class=\"\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Connor McDavid<\/a>. Draisaitl said he has talked to Babcock a couple of times this off-season and called the upcoming season a new beginning.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"28\"\/>McDavid and Zach Hyman have also spoken out in support of Babcock. Before the hiring,<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>Babcock met with McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman, and those discussions helped create alignment on the team\u2019s expectations and championship goals.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>Draisaitl\u2019s latest comments thus mirror a larger message from Edmonton\u2019s core: The Oilers are entering the 2026-27 NHL season expecting Babcock\u2019s demanding approach to help turn their talent into a more consistent team identity.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Leon Draisaitl has publicly backed Mike Babcock as the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers, saying the veteran coach\u2019s accountability and demanding style could give the team a much-needed change of direction. Draisaitl says Babcock will hold everyone accountable no matter their status, including Edmonton\u2019s biggest stars.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>The comments follow similar support from Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman and add to the feeling that the Oilers leadership group is on board with the coaching change. Babcock comes in after Edmonton\u2019s disappointing 2026 playoff exit to the Anaheim Ducks, despite the team\u2019s recent success and back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>Now Draisaitl looks to create consistency, structure and a stronger competitive identity heading into the 2026-27 NHL season.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/nhl\/news\/why-is-leon-draisaitl-backing-mike-babcock-as-edmonton-oilers-head-coach-for-2026-27-nhl-season\/articleshow\/133466745.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Leon Draisaitl trade rumors (Getty Images) Leon Draisaitl has spoken out in support of Mike Babcock ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, making his position on the new Edmonton Oilers coach clear. \u201cBabcock is a direct coach and holds players accountable, and that is something Edmonton needs,\u201d Draisaitl said during the European Player Media Tour.The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16005","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/leon-draisaitl.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Leon Draisaitl trade rumors (Getty Images) Leon Draisaitl has spoken out in support of Mike Babcock ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season, making his position on the new Edmonton Oilers coach clear. \u201cBabcock is a direct coach and holds players accountable, and that is something Edmonton needs,\u201d Draisaitl said during the European Player Media Tour.The [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 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