Connor McDavid was all praise for the new head coach of the Edmonton Oilers on Monday as he spoke with the media at the 7th Zach Hyman Celebrity Classic at the Oakdale Country Club in Toronto. "You name it, he's done it. It's a great opportunity for us players to be coached by somebody like him," said the Oilers captain. 

Talking everything from the loss of Darnell Nurse to the future of Gavin McKenna in Toronto, McDavid was asked about Mike Babcock and what his addition will mean for Edmonton. 

"We see a great opportunity to be coached by someone who's coached in every big game there is." The Oilers expected to learn from hima dn called him the perfect fit. 

Whether Babcock is the perfect fit remains to be seen, but there is a chance his presence and approach are what this team of underachieving elite stars might need. The Oilers have gone to the Stanley Cup Finals in two of the last three seasons, but failed to win. That's not acceptable, and given they were bounced in the first round this past season, it was time for a change. 

Kris Knoblauch was fired, mostly because his approach had grown stale. The right fit at the time he was hired, his calm and non-aggressive demanor no longer fits what this Oilers group needs. Babcock, for all his warts, is the style of coach McDavid and the leadership group wants. 

Leon Draisaitl was also quick to promote the idea that Babcock will be good for the Oilers. "I think he's the right guy to get us to where we want to get to. Obviously, it's a different look, a change in personality, but very excited to learn from him, work with him"

McDavid noted, “Where our group's at, what we're looking for, it’s the perfect fit. He's not gonna need to come in and find who he is as a coach or find himself in those situations. 
He knows what he's about as a coach. It's our job as players to be ready to go.”

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