When reports first surfaced that the Edmonton Oilers were expected to hire Mike Babcock as the next head coach, my initial thoughts shifted between “Why?” and “Really?”

Sure, Babcock has a history of winning, albeit a long time ago with star-studded teams, but his last playoff win was in 2013, and the last time he coached in the NHL was in the 2019-20 season.

Not to mention, when I hear the name Mike Babcock, my immediate thoughts don’t go to his wins, but instead jump to the negative incidents surrounding players — such as Johan Franzen calling him a bully and saying he was the worst person he’s ever met, asking then-rookie Mitch Marner to rank his teammates’ work ethic, and the incident in Columbus where he asked to see players’ photos, which was an invasion of privacy, to name a few.

Yet, despite those negative player experiences, all signs point to him being the next head coach of the Oilers, pending the outcome of the NHLPA’s potential investigation into the Columbus incident from three years ago.

And if this is indeed where things are headed, for those trying to find an upside in what I feel is otherwise a “What the heck are the Oilers doing?” situation, Zach Hyman’s experience playing under Babcock potentially offers a different perspective.

Hyman played for five seasons under Babcock with the Toronto Maple Leafs, where his former coach recognized Hyman’s potential and gave him an early opportunity that played a role in his development, which we break down below, starting with his rookie season.

Babcock recognized Hyman’s hard work and potential early

Babcock first noticed Hyman when he was still the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings and was scouting prospect Dylan Larkin at the University of Michigan. The coach noticed Larkin’s linemate, Hyman, and his compete level and puck retrieval, saying, “I just saw him get the puck to Larkin all the time,” Babcock said. “That’s all I saw. He just got the puck, got it to Larkin, and they scored.”

Then, Babcock and Hyman first connected with the Maple Leafs in........

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