This in from long-time NHL d-man Brendan Smith, his careful praise for new Edmonton Oilers coach Mike Babcock.
Smith broke into the NHL under Babcock on a good, but past-its-prime Detroit Red Wings team in 2011-15. Smith has played in the NHL since 2011-12, earning a reputation as a shut-down d-man. He’s now rehabbing his knee in an attempt to play another year for Columbus Blue Jackets.
Speaking to co-hosts Chris Osgood, a former Red Wings star goalie, and broadcaster John Keating on the Ozzy and Keats show in Detroit, Smith recalled how his learning of the game started with Babcock. “You learn a lot, but it can be really challenging and demanding. Babcock taught me a ton and now he’s back in the league, which that’s a whole different thing.”
Smith praised Babcock’s strategic and tactical thinking. “His X’s and O’s in his practice, it was high tempo. And I got better every day because I was playing against the best competition in the world. And from those, watching those players play, I was able to take that and now kind of pay it forward, pass it on.”
Smith continued: “Babs helped me out in a lot of different ways. His X’s and O’s and like his in-game play, which like what we need to do to beat the other team. For instance, if a team is playing a little bit of a zone or like how Boston used to play with their rover centre in the d-zone, he was good at sucking players out and then two-and-one-ing them down low or whatever the situation. His X’s and O’s were elite. He sees the game very well at a high level. And I think he kind of drives the bus. So the same way as Roddy (Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour). They drive the bus, they make sure that everybody’s dialed in and on time and committed. They do it totally different. Rod Brind’Amour’s style is a lot like, there’s a lot of trust and belief in a person. I don’t know if I felt that same with Babs, but you knew where you stood. Both coaches, with Babs, I knew where I stood. Always. I knew what kind of player he wanted me to be, to be successful on his roster. So like those guys drove the bus and I think that’s something that you need if you want to win. And right now, if you’re thinking about Edmonton, they’re in a win it now mode. I think that’s why they made the decision. And he’s going to be good for a lot of those top notch guys.”
On Edmonton’s coming season, Smith added, “I don’t know how it will unfold. That will be for the year to kind of see how the cookie crumbles there. But I learned a lot personally from Babs. And like anybody, there’s all pros and cons with everything. But I’m curious to see how that unfolds… But it could be a one year thing could be great. It could be a good fit.”
My take
1. There are many former NHL players who describe Babcock as a monster, including former Detroit Red Wings player Johan Franzen, who told Expressen in Sweden: “He’s a terrible person, the worst I have ever met. He’s a bully who was attacking people. It could be a cleaner at the arena in Detroit or anybody. He would lay into people without any reason.”
2. There are other former players of Babcock who speak highly of him, including Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman. Smith is careful in his praise but also gives a generally positive review, at least when it comes to Babcocks’ tactics, clarity of message and ability to get a team to win.
3. I get the sense it’s not easy for former players to talk about Babock. I suspect it’s because they have mixed feelings, in part because they feel like they might be breaking the unwritten rule about not speaking out about the inner workings of a team, in part because they don’t want to rile up those who hate Babcock, and in part because they accepted that there’s a price to pay for winning and earning NHL pay cheques and a big part of that price is enduring the tough love/nasty mind games of fierce NHL coaches.
4. There are two things in the NHL, winning and misery. Babcock, it seems, bring along much misery with the winning part, but it’s evident Edmonton’s leadership group is keen to pay that price in the hope of winning.
For me, that’s the bottom line on Babcock. I don’t give a hoot what sports fans or commentators say about playing for Babcock. They’re not playing for him. They don’t have to endure him.
The Oilers players are the only ones with real skin in the game here. And, from what I gather, most Oilers players, and especially Connor McDavid, are entirely committed to the Mike Babcock experience. They’re not only asking for it, they were critical in choosing this plan to action.
So be it.
Everything else is just noisy hot air.
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