Oilers coach says team buying into checking mindset early at NHL training camp is paying dividends

Vancouver Canucks defencemen Christian Wolanin, left, and Tyler Myers battle for the puck with Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid during NHL preseason action on Sept. 27, 2023, at Rogers Place. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

As dynamic an offensive team as the Edmonton Oilers have been over the past few seasons, work without the puck has been a major focus for the club that has aspirations of making a deeper NHL playoff run.

Head coach Jay Woodcroft, when asked during media availability Thursday at training camp about his team's ability to start the season strong with defensive play, said he thinks the terminology should revolve around taking the puck away from the opposition.

"We want to be a great defending team, but I wouldn't even use the word 'defending' -- I'd use 'checking,'" Woodcroft said. "I want to be us to be a great checking team. I think the best place you can check is in the offensive zone. We spend a lot of time talking about being good in that area so you don't have to worry about defending in your own area, in your own zone."

Woodcroft said the team has processes in place in terms of rules and organization back to their own end "so that, hopefully, we turn pucks over and go the other way."

"If the other team does give up possession of the puck, we have some things in place to try and break out quickly," he said. "In the end, if we find ourselves in our own zone and D zone coverage, we want to be comfortable there. We want to feel really good about ourselves."

That approach is something Woodcroft says the team bought into "right off the bat," something echoed by star Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, who told reporters the team has been talking about it since the start of camp.

"I think it's more of a mindset than anything, not feeling our way into a season, find that urgency right off the get-go," Draisaitl said following a training session. "It's not that we were not trying to do that in the seasons prior, but starts are key and it gives you a buffer sometimes when you do have a little bit of a slide, but obviously, we want to get off to a good start and be rolling."

Woodcroft said the coaching staff has seen positive results of the approach through the first three preseason games, which has seen the Oilers go to two shootouts so far, including Wednesday's 2-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks.

"We do know how to defend, but I think that the mindset was ingrained in our team from our opening meeting and training camp," Woodcroft said. "A good portion of practices through this first week of training camp have been dedicated towards that. In the end, the coaches are making it important, the players are making it important."