I’ve said it before. I’ll say it again.

If your best players are better than their best players, you will win nine times out of ten.

And for all the reasons the Oilers brought in Mike Babcock, I think that is reason Number One.

That and more in this edition of…

9. One of the guys I thought the Oilers may consider bringing back was Curtis Lazar. But neither Edmonton nor any other NHL team decided to do that. In the end, Lazar (according to multiple sources) has instead signed in Swiss Pro League.

8. The Oilers have launched a brand, new app. I downloaded it on Saturday. It provides mobile, one-stop shopping for all Oilers content. It is easy to navigate and highly visual. It also makes good business sense to bring all eyes and ears to one spot, in terms of audience data and revenues.

7. It is a fascinating story attached to Devon Levi’s new mask. Goalie masks are an art form in our game. Levi had the good fortune to hang out with Oilers Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr before Levi was even an Oiler. Now, his mask pays homage to one of the best to ever do it in the history of the game.

6. Evan Bouchard (Second Star), Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were all very good in a 5-2 home win over Winnipeg Saturday night. Ryan Shea (1-2-3) was the game’s First Star and did not look to have an ounce of panic in his game on the first pairing. Alex Formenton was Second Star. He has elite-level speed, scored and played a very sound two-way game. It was all against AHL+ level competition, so lets not get carried away just yet. But encouraging.

5. I am sure not a fan of how they have decided to format Bob Stauffer’s 880 CHED radio show. Bob’s program is a must-listen across the NHL and attracts massive podcast numbers. Think about it: Here you have this club insider, a big, marketable star hosting your program. And yet, you decide to add in more interruption and less time for the very person your audience is tuning in to hear every day. But hey, they probably do not like how I program radio stations, either.

4. I foreshadowed a week ago in this space that Evan Bouchard would be added to the Oilers leadership group as one of the Alternate Captains. And it has come to pass. Zach Hyman will wear an “A” as well. Do not forget Bouchard was the captain of his junior squad. I know he was a teenager then. But most leaders are born that way. You either have those qualities in your DNA, or you do not. As mentioned, Bouchard had four assists against the Jets and was cool as a cucumber. The letter suites him.

3. As progressively bigger contracts are handed out across the league, the demands grow more insistent that the Edmonton Oilers lock up Matt Savoie. For those still suffering “hockey PSD” from the Broberg and Holloway offer sheets, I get it. However, it is a hot market. Remember what happened when there was a sudden run on signing up NHL D-men? In that hot market, the Oilers handed that contract to Darnell Nurse that so many of you were such huge fans of. Look: As much time as I sure have for Matt Savoie, there is another guy whose contract will soon be up for renewal (on July 1, 2027). If I am the organization, I know where my first priorities lay.

2. In hockey, the basics and the details are the foundation of your house. And this is a team game, whose weakest link can have an effect on the entire squad. So, if you have some guys just freelancing when your team does not have the puck, it can easily result in what amounts to a 5-on-4 or even 5-on-3. At this level, elite offensive players only need a sliver of light to make you pay. And it also piles even more pressure onto the shoulders of your goaltenders. And they were already the last line of defence as it was. If we are being honest, even the best Oilers teams of the past few years have been guilty of this. So, if Mike Babcock conjures up the defensive responsibility and accountability he has been talking about…look out.

1.I am not in the room or at the rink. But from the people I talk to that are there, the mood around the Edmonton Oilers this Fall is different. Very different. One, there is a sense among the bottom six and bottom pairing guys that there are actual roles available to them. Not just roster spots but jobs that would make them more involved and give them an even bigger stake in things. And that is great for team building. It is a trait Jay Woodcroft started off with in this organization. I remember Derek Ryan talking about it in glowing terms. Somehow, Woodcroft lost his way in that respect. But he had the right idea. The organization has since recognized this shortcoming. And their new Head Coach sounds like he believes in that, too.

But equally (and I would argue more) important is the vibe around the best players on the team. I know some folks opposed the Mike Babcock hiring. And hey…you are entitled to your opinion. You may ultimately be proven correct. But right now, all signs point to the big guys being super-dialed in. In fact, one person told me that Connor McDavid, in particular, is in a terrific mood. It is clear 97 wanted the organization to take some different steps in its evolution. He was given a substantive off-ice role in making that happen. And now that it has, it’s best player and most valuable asset appears to be bought-in and pumped up. You saw him on Friday, in a meaningless game. He was flying on Saturday. That’s like throwing gas on a fire.

I also noted a big second period pre-season backcheck by Leon Draisaitl that drew cheers from around the arena and no doubt notice from his new Head Coach. Add the afore-mentioned Bouchard performance, and that was a great showing by your three best players in a result that meant sweet bugger all in the standings. And these performances by them matches the verbal in their interviews. They are talking the talk, then going out and walking (or skating) the walk.

If that kind of commitment and play from the very top of your lineup is the return you are going to realize from the hiring of this Head Coach? Then it will have been a wise investment.

A wise investment indeed.

This article is not AI generated.

Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.

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