Babcock’s Blunt Take on Connor McDavid Will Shock You

Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock dropped one of the best soundbites of the year when asked if he’s run out of ways to describe Connor McDavid.

McDavid is on a record-breaking pace for points this season.

He leads the NHL in both assists (31) and total points (40) through 16 games.

He just broke Wayne Gretzky’s 42-year-old record for fastest to 30 assists in a season, reaching it in 15 games.

He has an active 16-game assist streak, the longest in NHL history.

He has three five-point games already this season.

So when a reporter asked Babcock if he’s exhausted his vocabulary watching this, the answer seemed obvious.

But Babcock didn’t talk about the highlights.

“Well, what he’s doing is the things I ask, and those things that you people that cover the game don’t care about, right?” Babcock said.

“Like, I want him to stop on defence. I want him to be on the forecheck in the right spots. I want him to track right. I want him to get skin when he’s coming back and slow people down.”

That’s the part that gets overlooked.

McDavid is known for his speed, his hands, his ability to make defenders look frozen.

But Babcock is focused on the 200-foot game.

“So those are the things that he’s getting better at, where we need him offensively in the middle,” Babcock continued.

The coach made clear he isn’t trying to handcuff his superstar.

“Now he’s got to play his game and do what he does, because he is who he is,” Babcock said.

But there’s a structure that comes with winning long-term.

“In saying that, there’s structure from within a team, and if you’re going to have success long term, we all got to adhere to that structure and then find your game within that game,” Babcock said.

“And he’s been spectacular at that and he gets better every day.”

What makes this so fascinating is the timing.

McDavid is on pace for his best-ever offensive year while buying into the little things that don’t show up on the scoresheet.

Under previous coaches, McDavid played a different style.

Babcock has asked him to be a more well-rounded player.

McDavid said before the season started that he wanted to improve those areas.

Now his coach is thrilled with how quickly he’s picking it up.

The Oilers are 11-2-3 this season, leading the Pacific Division.

They play the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night at 8:00 PM ET.

McDavid has already scored one goal against the Ducks this season on one shot.

He has registered a point in all 16 games he’s played.

He has 11 multi-point games this season.

His shooting percentage is 20.9% on 43 shots, good for nine goals.

But Babcock’s focus remains on the defensive side.

The coach wants McDavid stopping on defense.

He wants him hitting the right forecheck spots.

He wants him tracking properly.

He wants him getting “skin” — body contact — when coming back to slow opponents down.

Those are the attributes Babcock believes will lead to a Stanley Cup.

McDavid’s assist streak has been the longest active in NHL history.

He reached the 30-assist mark on Nov. 1 in a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers.

That broke Gretzky’s record from the 1984-85 season.

McDavid has formed elite chemistry with Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.