Oilers forward Zach Hyman has gone to bat for Mike Babcock — and he has more skin in the game than most. Hyman was one of the core leadership voices who recommended the Oilers pursue Babcock for the head coaching job, and he's not backing away from that stance.

Speaking to TSN's Ryan Rishaug, Hyman described Babcock as someone who found a role for him early in his career when others weren't sure he belonged, crediting him with helping shape an entire generation of young Maple Leafs into legitimate NHL contributors.

He called Toronto under Babcock the most prepared team he's ever been part of. Hyman is among the Oilers' leadership group excited about the fact Babcock will be bringing that same level of preparation to the Oilers this coming season. 

Hyman also revealed that before accepting the job, Babcock sat down with himself, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl for detailed, honest conversations about the team and the path forward.

They talked about his past -- some of which Hyman was actually involved with -- and whether that would be an issue. 

On the Mitch Marner incident, Hyman was candid — and his answer was a bit surprising. He said it was the only incident he was aware of from his four years in Toronto, and that he didn't learn about it until well after the fact. The veteran players shielded the younger ones from it entirely.

This sort of contradicts the narrative that has been put out there by some that the Marner incident rippled through the locker room and had a hugely negative impact on the Maple Leafs. Hyman seemed to indicate that many of the players weren't even aware of what had happened. 

Hyman's message was clear: his experience with Babcock was a positive one, and he's confident the Oilers' leadership core is prepared to ensure things stay on track.

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