How Much Credit Does Mike Babcock Deserve For The Edmonton Oilers' Early Success?

Expectations were high for the Edmonton Oilers heading into the season, but a historic start from the team's top players has put them near the top of the NHL standings. Where has Mike Babcock influenced this group the most and how much credit does he deserve?When he took the job as coach of the Edmonton Oilers, Mike Babcock knew how high the bar was going to be for him. With two of the best players on the planet earth in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, along with a flourishing defenseman in Evan Bouchard, it would've been hard to earn credit as a coach if the Oilers were just a fringe playoff team. All the credit would’ve gone to all the players, and the choice of Babcock to run this Edmonton team would’ve been questioned by Oilers fans high and low.However, Edmonton currently is second in the NHL in points percentage (.775) and only have three regulation losses through their first 20 games. Babcock has got his team extremely confident and as dangerous as just about any squad in the league.Related storiesSo, how much credit does Babcock really deserve for the Oilers' incredible start?To be sure, the Oilers were notoriously slow starters for the past few seasons under former bench boss Kris Knoblauch. And Babcock came into this season operating under an almost comically-short training camp, working on the fly with a lineup he had no familiarity with until the first whistle of the pre-season. Not only does Edmonton have the NHL's third-best offense – averaging an even four-goals per game – they have a power play that's also incredibly potent, averaging 33.3 percent efficiency. Their top power-play unit has been one of the best in the league over the past few seasons so there's not much Babcock needed to change, but the coach deserves a little credit for not making changes for the sake of doing so and acknowledging when things don't need to be adjusted.Now, the Oilers aren't a flawless group. Their penalty kill is ranked 18th at 76.9 percent. They're probably never going to be seen as the modern incarnation of the dead-puck era New Jersey Devils, but Edmonton's overall defense is surprisingly effective, as they rank tied for seventh at 2.80 goals against per game. Some of that can be chalked up to the stellar performance of goaltender Devon Levi, but when your team is making Tristan Jarry look competent, you're doing something right as a group. Any coach that has gotten good netminding is going to look like a smart coach, and Babcock is clearly benefitting from Levi and Jarry holding the fort.But ultimately, there's a systemic change that's paid off for the Oilers early on, and you have to give Babcock his due for effecting positive change. He came into the job having had his character questioned, and rightfully so. The backlash from Babcock's former players, and the implosion he had in his very short time with the Columbus Blue Jackets meant that there was no room for error for Babcock in Edmonton.While there's lots of time left in the current season – and lots of potential for things to go sideways – Babcock has earned the laurels that have come his way of late. He's certainly the beneficiary of having superb players in his employ, but he's pushing the right buttons and providing the structure necessary for the Oilers to earn the top spot in the Pacific Division and set themselves up for home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.Babcock may not be your cup of tea, personally or professionally. But give him his credit – he's a clear-cut candidate for the Jack Adams Award as the league's top coach, and Oilers fans have to be elated with his impact.For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.