Zach Hyman Has Nothing But Praise for Mike Babcock

Nobody on the Edmonton Oilers knows Mike Babcock better than Zach Hyman, so when he speaks about their new head coach, everybody listens.

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On Monday morning, Hyman made an appearance on TSN’s First Up and was, of course, asked about the hiring of Babcock, whom he spent parts of five seasons with during his time as a Toronto Maple Leaf.

While everyone has their own experiences, Hyman had nothing but praise for his former and now current bench boss, who he and the Oilers believe will help get them over the hump.

Hyman said:

“As a player, you don’t have much say on the coaching stuff. But I had played for Babs, so obviously I was asked about my experience, and I had a great experience with him. He was phenomenal to me as a young player…I think extremely highly of him as a coach. His ability to teach. He’s an unbelievable coach…a lot of excitement from our group. The guys we have to have him come into the room and to really command it. So we’re excited

I think as players, we’re all comfortable with Babs and with what he brought, and we think that it’s something that’s going to be really good for our group. It’s somebody who we need, and somebody who can really take us to the next level,”

The 34-year-old Hyman has two years remaining on the seven-year, $38.5 million contract he signed to leave Toronto for Edmonton as a free agent back in 2021.

No matter the scrutiny or questioning that has come with the Oilers’ decision to hire Babcock, the core group has consistently made it clear that they wanted him and are all in.

That’s ultimately what matters most, so as long as Babcock keeps it in check and they’re able to block out any outside noise, then Edmonton may benefit from having a Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist leading the charge.

Next: Tristan Jarry Seen as the Favorite to Lead Oilers Goaltending Trio