Jeff O'Neill calls out Oilers players over uncalled for hype and drops bold Cup take
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Jeff O'Neill says Oilers players are overhyping Mike Babcock and doubts Edmonton is a true Stanley Cup contender this year.
Jeff O'Neill is not drinking the Oilers Kool-Aid this summer.
The OverDrive co-host let it fly on TSN 1050 in Toronto, saying he is tired of Edmonton players talking up new head coach Mike Babcock before he has even coached a single regular season game.
O'Neill pointed to what he called an overload of praise coming from the Oilers room since Babcock's hiring was finalized in June, and he is not buying it as genuine belief just yet.
O'Neill doubts the hype train
According to O'Neill, players constantly hyping up a new bench boss during the offseason means very little until it shows up on the ice in October.
He argued the Oilers are simply saying what is expected of them after two Cup Final trips under Kris Knoblauch ended in heartbreak against Florida.
That is where O'Neill really turned heads.
He does not view Edmonton as a true Stanley Cup contender heading into this season, a bold stance given the roster still runs through Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
"No depth." "No structure." "They lost Nurse and added Andersen. Big deal."
- Jeff O'Neill
- Jeff O'Neill
Babcock inherits a loaded but scarred roster
Babcock takes over a team that has been to the mountaintop twice and come up empty both times.
He won a Cup himself with Detroit back in 2008, so pedigree is not the concern here.
Whether he can get buy in from a veteran core that has heard every kind of message already is the real question mark going into camp.
Oilers fans will get their first real answers once puck drop hits in the fall.
Until then, expect plenty more debate like this from panel shows across the country, especially with expectations in Edmonton higher than ever heading into a fresh era behind the bench.
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