“What a Difference-Maker He’s Going to Be…”: Babcock Praises Polarizing Oiler

“Pretty good, eh?” said head coach Mike Babcock when asked to assess Edmonton Oilers forward Alex Formenton. The newly signed winger had a big debut for the Oilers, scoring in a 5-2 win. Formenton spoke after the game about being laser-focused on his game and making the team, but it sounds like the coach has much bigger plans.

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“I mean, what a difference-maker he’s going to be for us. An elite penalty killer, puts pressure on the other team. I thought him (Mathieu Joseph and Colton Dach) were unreal. That was my favorite line tonight by far.” Babcock was immediately enamoured by Formenton’s speed and ability to push up on his opponents. He’s going to make defenders pay if they get too comfortable and Formenton could turn the Oilers penalty kill into an advantage.

Bob Stauffer of Oilers Now said on his show before the game that two sources inside the NHL said, “Just wait.” Formenton might start on a fourth line, but he’ll work his way up. It’s only one game, but Saturday’s contest seemed to support those sources.

As Formenton got set to take the ice, a group of protestors stood outside Rogers Place and made their case that the newest Oiler shouldn’t be on the team. That support seemed to be drowned out by the crowd inside the arena, most of whom cheered as loudly for Formenton’s breakaway goal as for any of the other four Oilers who scored.

When asked what he thought about the protests and if he had to tune out the distraction, he responded, “Yeah, to be honest, I’ve been laser-focused on trying to, you know, make this team and get better every day. and, you know, whatever role that I have on this team, trying to perfect that. So, I’ve had laser focus on getting better each day.”

Right or wrong, a few more games like Saturday’s and a few more instances where the coach praises the player and his line, in the fashion Babcock did on Saturday, any protests will have minimal effect. And, whether his on-ice performance should impact how people feel about him personally, results like Saturday’s is exactly what Formenton will need to silence the negative reaction to his joining the team.

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