Leon Draisaitl sounds off on the Mike Babcock hire.

There was a ton of controversy surrounding the Edmonton Oilers decision to hire head coach Mike Babcock this summer but, despite some fierce public backlash against the Oilers organization, in the end the team stuck to their guns and made the decision to hire Babcock leading into the 2026-27 National Hockey League regular season.

Since that time it has become increasingly clear that the move was in fact motivated by the top players in the Oilers organization, with both Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman speaking publicly about their roles in the hiring process over the summer. Over the weekend it was Leon Draisaitl's turn to speak to the media about the move when, during the NHL's European Media Tour, he faced questions of his own about the Mike Babcock hire.

Much like his teammates before him, Draisaitl made it clear that he was not only on board with the move but welcomed Babcock's more hard-nosed type of coaching style.

"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?" said Draisaitl as per NHL.com. "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."

Both Draisaitl and McDavid have played alongside Hyman for several years now and there's no doubt that they consulted with their longtime teammate before pushing for Babcock to be hired. Hyman speaks glowingly of his experience under Babcock during their time together with the Toronto Maple Leafs and his closest teammates would have heard an even more detailed version of that review behind closed doors.

Draisaitl has since had numerous conversations with Babcock directly and it sounds like the Oilers, and more importantly their top superstars, are fully embracing the Mike Babcock era.

"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."