Every coach of the Edmonton Oilers in the Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl era has eventually run into the same problem: when the game is on the line, why would you trust anyone else? Kris Knoblauch was, in part, arguably let go because he couldn't manage the minutes of the rest of the roster effectively. To be fair, he didn't invent that instinct — he inherited it. Coaches who came before him had the same problem, and it's the same trap that now sits waiting for Mike Babcock as he takes over behind the Edmonton bench.

It's easy to understand why coaches call upon the two best players in the world as often as they do. McDavid can take over a game or a playoff series like no one else. The only player who comes close is Draisaitl. When two players are so impactful and can turn a game on its head, you lean on them. It isn't stubbornness — it's just percentages.

But that's exactly what makes the trap so dangerous.

At any given moment, popping McDavid and Draisaitl on the ice is often the right play.  They give Edmonton the best chance to score and often to win. Back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final prove the strategy works, even if the longer-term effects start to take their toll. 

It's those longer-term effects that also make it understandable why Babcock wants to better manage the minutes of his new superstars. It's important to spread the ice time around and get more players involved, but it's imperative that McDavid and Draisaitl have something left in the tank for the playoffs. 

Babcock mentioned how important it was to utilize the entire roster. Then again, every coach before him has said some version of the same thing entering training camp. Every one of them has quietly reverted to the easy fix: put the top guys out on the ice. Leaving your two best players on the bench in a critical moment is not easy. When it doesn't work, it's especially challenging. And while McDavid and Draisaitl both understand what the right thing to do is, they're both competitors, and sitting idle as they watch key moments in a game will feel almost impossible. 

Babcock's actual challenge, then, isn't identifying that Edmonton needs more from its depth. Everyone already agrees on that. It's figuring out where the line sits between using McDavid and Draisaitl efficiently and not calling on them when the Oilers need a 'get out of jail free' card. 

This will be a test for Babcock and the Oilers. Can he stick to his game plan? Or, will the pressure mount to the point where he does what every other coach before him has?

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