Locked On Oilers - Daily Podcast On The Edmonton Oilers

Will Mike Babcock's coaching style work with the Edmonton Oilers' current goalie room? In this Tuesday edition of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis dives deep into Mike Babcock’s historical usage of goaltenders. 

From riding "bell cow" goalies like Jean-Sébastien Giguère in Anaheim to his heavy reliance on Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek in Detroit, Babcock's systems demand massive workloads. But with a current Edmonton trio of Tristan Jarry, Frederik Andersen, and Devon Levi, the Oilers face a major challenge. Zararis breaks down why Jarry and Andersen's injury histories make a 50+ start season highly unlikely, and what this means for Babcock's return to the NHL after a 7-year absence.

05:13 Coaching impact on Stanley Cup wins

08:02 Coaching experience and goalie concerns

10:29 Discussing Mike Babcock's goalie usage

14:30 Ducks and Red Wings Championships

19:13 Goaltending's impact on playoff hopes

23:45 Concerns about goalie workload

25:36 Oilers' goalie challenges and strategy

Why Mike Babcock's Goalie History could be Bad News for the Edmonton Oilers

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On today’s episode of Locked On Oilers, host Nick dives deep into the environmental factors and historical context surrounding Mike Babcock’s return as an NHL head coach—this time behind the bench for the Edmonton Oilers!

We explore Babcock's previous tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs and break down how his past relationships with current Oilers players will impact the team's upcoming season. From Zach Hyman's evolution into a superstar to managing Frederik Andersen's workload, this episode covers everything you need to know about Edmonton's new era

 

01:24 - Context Matters: The Toronto Maple Leafs Rebuild 

05:14 - Babcock's Arrival in Toronto & The Matthews/Marner Era 

10:26 - Zach Hyman’s Unlikely Path to NHL Stardom 

14:44 - How Babcock Used Hyman in Toronto 

17:39 - Why Hyman Pushed for Babcock to Coach Edmonton 

19:23 - Managing Frederik Andersen & Modern NHL Goalie Workloads 

25:21 - Kasperi Kapanen: From Toronto Prospect to Oilers Utility Player 

28:00 - Outro & Next Episode Preview

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

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FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.

 

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FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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Do sports and ancient mythology have more in common than we think? On this Wednesday edition of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis explores the deep connections between ancient storytelling, like Homer's The Odyssey, and the enduring legacies of modern athletes.

From the hero's journey of prodigies like Connor McDavid and LeBron James to the folk-hero status of Bo Jackson, we dive into how sports magic is created, remembered, and passed down. Whether it's the cultural impact of the 1980 Miracle on Ice or the archetype of the Canadian hockey player, this episode breaks down why we need sports myths to believe in something bigger than ourselves.

04:59 Young Athletes and Legacy

07:53 Bo Jackson's athletic career

11:08 Discussion on knowledge and magic in life

13:46 Building a sports analysis framework

16:50 Sports team legends and memories

22:25 The legacy of tough hockey tactics

24:35 Underdogs and Canadian hockey legends

27:44 Discussing mythology and sports culture

The Hero's Journey: Connor McDavid, the Odyssey and sports Mythology

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COMto play Daily Dingers and make your free pick on who’s hitting a homer this MLB season.

Odoo
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Indeed
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FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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In this episode of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis dives deep into the philosophy of building the optimal Edmonton Oilers forward group. With new flexibility in the lineup, the focus shifts to creating efficient offense by amplifying player strengths and minimizing weaknesses to ensure the team does not become predictable.

Key Topics Discussed:

The Top 6 Strategy: Why keeping Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on separate lines is crucial for generating dynamic transition offense and taking pressure off the defense.

Integrating Youth: The urgent opportunity to elevate young talents like Ike Howard or Matt Savoie into a first-line role alongside McDavid and Zach Hyman.

Maximizing Draisaitl: How pairing Leon Draisaitl with relentless forecheckers like Vasily Podkolzin and Kasperi Kapanen can create a highly dangerous cycle game.

Revamping the Bottom 6: The potential of a defensively responsible yet offensively capable third line featuring Jason Dickinson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.

A Reliable 4th Line: Looking at how Colton Dach, Josh Samanski, and Trent Frederick could form a physical, forechecking fourth line capable of contributing secondary scoring.

By finding the right mix of forecheckers, distributors, and shooters, the Oilers can become a multi-dimensional threat capable of attacking off the rush or the cycle. Tune in to hear the full breakdown of how these line combinations could propel Edmonton to a highly successful regular season

03:53 Oilers forward group challenges

07:25 Team's offensive predictability issues

12:07 Integrating younger players

14:27 Planning McDavid and Draisaitl's Lines

18:31 Oilers' promising top 6 lineup

22:44 Optimizing offensive line strategies

25:01 Strengthening the Oilers' bottom lines

26:50 Oilers' offensive potential this season

Why Unlocking Matt Savoie and Ike Howard is the key to the Oilers lineup in 2026

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

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FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.

Odoo
Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. 

Indeed
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FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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The Detroit Red Wings fired GM Steve Yzerman, and the Edmonton Oilers need to pay close attention. On today’s episode of Locked On Oilers, host Nick Zararis breaks down how a historically dominant franchise ends up trapped in hockey purgatory and what Edmonton can learn from their mistakes

03:15 NHL coaching and management tenures

07:44 Red Wings' growth potential and optics

11:10 Red Wings' decline and challenges

15:04 Player Development in NHL Teams

20:40 Indeed Sponsored Jobs benefits

24:27 Rebuilding strategies for small market teams

25:53 Economics of sports tickets and fan experience

29:15 Ending the Episode

The Edmonton Oilers MUST Learn From Steve Yzerman's Firing

 

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!

FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.

Odoo
Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. 

Indeed
Now, you can speed up your hiring process with a $75 Sponsored Job Credit. Just go to https://indeed.com/podcastright now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Terms and conditions apply.

 

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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