Connor McDavid just made a bold promise about the Edmonton Oilers before the season starts.
McDavid addressed the team's preparation directly, and his comments made clear he specifically wants Mike Babcock's demanding style.
"I want to be coached. I do. I need to be organized," McDavid said.
"And I know Babs will do that. We're going to be the most prepared team in the NHL," he added.
That's about as direct an endorsement as a captain can give a new head coach before puck drop.
It also lines up with what's already been reported about how this hire came together in the first place.
McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of Edmonton's leadership group reportedly asked specifically for a coach who would push them.
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Connor McDavid's bold Oilers promise puts huge pressure on Mike Babcock
Last season ended with a first-round exit, Edmonton managing just 6 playoff games before the run was over.
McDavid still put up video-game numbers along the way, finishing with 48 goals and 90 assists for 138 points across all 82 games.
Six playoff games from a player producing at that level says everything about where the bigger problems actually sit.
Wanting more structure and organization after an exit like that is a completely reasonable response from a franchise player.
It's the equivalent of a top performer at work asking for a stricter manager after a project fell apart, not because talent was the problem, but discipline was.
Is a public vow like this actually meaningful, or just the kind of thing every captain says before a coaching change?
Edmonton carries real expectations again this season, built entirely around McDavid and Draisaitl performing at an elite level.
My take: words like this matter less than the buy-in behind them, but getting your best player to publicly ask for more discipline is still a good sign.
Camp is close, and "most prepared team in the league" is now a promise McDavid himself has to help deliver on.
Do you believe the Oilers will actually be the NHL's most prepared team this season?
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