Mike Babcock's unusual Shakir Mukhamadullin analogy adds new wrinkle to Darnell Nurse trade
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mike Babcock explained why a big, rangy defenceman like Shakir Mukhamadullin gives opponents fits, using a tree and shrub comparison.
That analogy instantly caught fire with Oilers fans.
Edmonton brought in Mukhamadullin as part of the Darnell Nurse trade this summer, and the early returns on why he fits the Oilers blue line plan are starting to show up in how his own coach talks about him.
Babcock has never been shy about painting pictures for reporters, and his latest one landed with Oil Country almost immediately.
Why size matters on the back end
The six foot four defenceman was brought over from San Jose as a depth piece, but Babcock is already framing him as more than that.
According to Babcock, trying to skate around a smaller defenceman is simple, since a player can just step over a shrub.
A bigger body like Mukhamadullin is a different problem entirely, forcing attackers to go all the way around rather than through.
"It's simple. It's a tree versus a shrub, right? You try to get around a tree versus a shrub. Shrub, you step over. And a tree, you got to go drive your car around. You know what I'm saying? That's the difference."
- Mike Babcock
- Mike Babcock
That kind of physical presence has been a priority for Edmonton as they retool their defence corps heading into the new season, and Babcock made it clear he values what that length brings defensively, even before puck drop.
What it means for the season ahead
Mukhamadullin inked a two year extension with the Oilers shortly after arriving, giving the club some cost certainty as he tries to lock down a bottom pairing role.
If Babcock keeps leaning on him early, that trust could grow fast in a lineup still finding its identity under a new head coach.
Fans will get their first real look at how this plays out once the regular season begins.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
15 players hit NHL waivers as Red Wings headline with six cuts
15 players hit NHL waivers as Red Wings headline with six cuts