Can Leon Draisaitl become Mike Babcock’s next Pavel Datsyuk?

Now, this is purely speculation and piecing things together, but perhaps part of the intrigue in Babcock for Draisaitl lies in the fact that he was the coach who once guided his idol, “The Magic Man,” into the player he became — especially given Draisaitl has said himself that he wants to become a more complete player all around.

Datsyuk praised Babcock for helping round out his two-way game

Datsyuk played under Babcock for ten seasons in Detroit from 2005 to 2015, and in 2017, the former superstar said in an interview that Babcock helped him become a great two-way player, saying:

“He gave me a lot. Asked me to concentrate on defence.” He added, “Made me more of a defensive forward, especially closer to the end of my career.”

Not only did Datsyuk become a two-time Stanley Cup champion under Babcock and a four-time All-Star, but he was also a three-time Selke Trophy winner — the award given annually to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the game.

Also, in the 2007-08 season, when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, Datsyuk tied a career-high with 97 points, but also set a career-best plus/minus rating of +41.

Datsyuk was dominant in the playoffs that year as well. He registered 23 points in 22 games with a +13 rating and led all players with 27 takeaways. Above all, he was tasked with shutting down Sidney Crosby in the Stanley Cup Final en route to a Cup win.

That was Datsyuk at his peak under Babcock — elite offence, elite defence, and one of the best two-way players in the game.

Now, for Draisaitl, there are similarities as another high-end offensive European player, but he doesn’t quite bring the same level of defensive acumen that Datsyuk once did.

Draisaitl still has room to grow as a two-way player

However, for as elite as Draisaitl is offensively — having scored the most goals (235) in the NHL over the last five seasons — he’s far from a defensive liability. On most nights, he’s one of the Oilers’ most reliable two-way forwards, backchecking hard, breaking up plays with an active stick, and dominating in the faceoff circle, with that effort earning him a sixth-place finish in Selke Trophy voting in 2024-25.

But like any elite offensive player, there are nights where it’s fair to say Draisaitl just doesn’t have it defensively. The legs aren’t moving, he’s throwing backhand cross-ice passes onto opposing sticks, and he looks somewhat disengaged. Those nights don’t happen consecutively, but they do happen.

Yet perhaps that’s where Babcock can help — being that stern voice for Draisaitl, reminding him that there are no nights off. And given how many leads the Oilers have surrendered in the McDavid and Draisaitl era, perhaps he can be the one to tell him bluntly not to take his foot off the gas pedal, or to not forget about his defensive duties.

That said, it would’ve been nice to be a fly on the wall in the meeting Babcock had with the Oilers’ leadership group, and I’d be willing to bet that there was a spiel about previously coaching Datsyuk and helping shape him into the two-way superstar Draisaitl grew up idolizing. And again, I’m speculating, but perhaps that’s what sold Draisaitl — that Babcock could help unlock that same transformation, which might be part of that extra one percent the Oilers’ leadership group is looking for to finally win a Stanley Cup.

Because a locked-in, Selke-contending, consistent two-way Draisaitl would be a very dangerous player to deal with, and the kind of centre Babcock could rely on to drive offence and shut down the opposition’s best when the stakes are at their highest, just like he once did with his idol over a decade ago.