Mike Babcock has a blunt message for the Oilers' depth players: nobody is handing them the puck, and they have to earn it.
“You're seeing one and done, one and done, one and done. You can't be one and done,” Babcock said.
“You got to be heavy. And the hardest thing about the National Hockey League is no one lets you have the puck.”
“We're not giving it to you. You got to earn it,” he added.
“Your stick's got to be a crowbar.”
“D-zone's the work zone. Hang out in the fun zone.”
That's exactly the right message. Edmonton can't keep asking its stars to carry everything, and the kids need to know ice time isn't a birthright.
Connor McDavid played less and produced more in Utah
It's like a kitchen where the new cooks want to plate dessert before they've chopped a single onion.
Babcock had already said after Thursday's loss to Utah that the team needs to play its big boys less.
Edmonton bounced back with a 6-2 win in Utah on Saturday.
McDavid logged 19:52 in that one and still put up 5 points.
That was six minutes less than he played on Thursday.
Zach Hyman scored in his return, while Mathieu Joseph and Kasperi Kapanen also found the net.
Isaac Howard has 2 assists and no goals, while Joshua Samanski has 1 assist.
Colton Dach and Max Jones are both still looking for their first point, and both sit at -4.
Vasily Podkolzin, on a $2,950,000 deal, has shown what earning it looks like with 7 goals.
Edmonton is 6-1-1 and a perfect 5-0-0 on the road.
Jason Dickinson is now out until at least Oct 28.
Which of the young forwards actually takes the message to heart?
The Oilers host Minnesota on Tuesday, Carolina on Thursday and Toronto on Saturday night.
Babcock drew a clear line between the work zone and the fun zone. Now the depth players have to show they know which side to hang out on.
Is Mike Babcock right to make the Oilers' young players earn their ice time?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Connor Hellebuyck makes a Los Angeles Kings decision according to Frank Seravalli
