Hendricks: “We need to be a confident group”
By Jason Gregor
7 years agoOilers veteran Matt Hendricks is always a good player to speak with about the state of the Oilers. He doesn’t give cliche answers, and he’ll talk openly and honestly about the team.
Training camp is one week away. The Oilers had a strong camp last season, but it did not result in a good regular season. This year must be different, and Hendricks began our conversation discussing what he believes will be the most important factor for the Oilers success.
My thoughts are in italics.
Jason Gregor: From your standpoint, if your team is healthy, what is the most important thing your group needs to do to remain competitive all season?
Matt Hendricks: I think our start to the season is going to be big for our team. If we come out playing with some confidence and get some wins under our belt early, I see our team gaining that confidence we need to kind of push forward into the regular season. I kind of look at the first games of our regular seasons as a big stepping stone for us in terms of maturing and kind of showing what kind of a group we’re going to have out there.
***October is crucial for the team. As Hendricks said from a mental standpoint they need to taste some success, but I also believe a good start is crucial due to their schedule, which is very road heavy between November to February.**
Matt Kassian: Speaking of the group, over the course of last season Peter Chiarelli added [Zack] Kassian, [Patrick] Maroon, now you added Milan Lucic, just a very, very physical and skilled player. Do you think that is trying to send a message, not just to the team, but to the rest of the league that you guys are going to be a very up-tempo, physical team that is going to be hard to play against?
Hendricks: I think if you look at past Oilers’ teams we maybe got pushed around too easily, didn’t have a real big back bone, and was more of a skilled, skating team. I still think that our skating ability is there, I don’t see that being a problem at all, but we’re going to have that backbone, that team mentality where we’re going to stick up for our teammates, we’re not going to get pushed out of games and when I say that, I mean close games. I’ve been here for two and a half years and we’ve lost a lot of one goal games now. We’ve kind of just fall flat at the end of hockey games where we either get scored on late or we just can’t get enough, we can’t figure out a way to find that next goal to tie games up so we’re going to be a stronger team, obviously a bigger team, a tougher team, but I think the most important aspect is t we are going to be a better team, a better group.
Gregor: We had Kris Vertseeg on the show on Friday and he said ‘I’m not a guy who is going to challenge teammates or be vocal, but Lucic is. He’s comfortable doing it, he can back it up on the ice.’ How important is it to have a guy who is going to be in your top six forwards, one of your key players, a vocal leader who is not only a rah rah guy, but also someone who can challenge his teammates when necessary?
Hendricks: I think that it’s great for our group. It’s important that every successful team has teammates like that. You know what I love about Lucic is that he has all of those attributes in his game. He’s a great player, he’s willing to kind of kick a guy in the rear end to get him going, but he’s been to the top, he’s won the Stanley Cup, he’s played on great hockey teams. He knows what it takes to be successful at this level and that’s what we need more of in Edmonton; more players who have been there and been a part of teams like that and have seen how it’s done. And we can all learn from Lucic and it’s been great so far having him at the rink every day and just watching his work ethic and it’s starting to rub off on other guys as well.
***For too many years the organization asked players to be leaders even though they were young, and in most cases not comfortable being the vocal leader. It was one of the gross oversights of the previous regime. Chiarelli and McLellan recognized it, mainly McLellan who spoke often about how quiet the group was, and Lucic’s personality and willingness to challenge teammates will be a welcome addition.**
Gregor: You’ve had a chance to see some of your teammates, what were your first impressions of Puljujarvi?
Hendricks: Big body (laughs). That kid is going to be a monster in a few years once he fills out that frame. He’s a big man who skates very well, he’s real good with the puck, seems to be scoring a lot of goals in practice drills and such. I can definitely see why he was high on a lot of team’s lists going into the draft.
Gregor: He is only eighteen years of age and with the addition of Vertsteeg and Lucic earlier maybe the Oilers don’t have to thrust another eighteen year old into a position to be an impact player right away?
Hendricks: I’d agree with that. I think our organization is starting to go in that direction a little bit. We need depth and we need more players to step up. If he comes into training camp and earns his spot, I believe that he’s going to get a great opportunity to play for the big club. And if not I’m sure he’ll go down and develop for a little bit. Peter [Chiarelli] has been open about it too, he’s all about our team and developing it and making sure that we have players who are going to step in and help the big club win.
***If Puljujarvi plays great and earns a spot, awesome, but I can see a lot of benefit from having him start in the AHL and get used to the smaller ice surface, not to mention the culture shock off the ice. Even if he is ready, how many 18 years are truly impact players? Very few. Some AHL seasoning will not hurt his development what so ever, I’d argue it would help him.**
Gregor: Your role, do you see it changing at all? Do you think with veterans like Maroon and Kassian who weren’t here at the start of last season, that now there will be more defined role for a lot of guys heading into camp than in previous years?
Hendricks: Yeah, I think so. I think for each player, each individual it’s their job to recognize that. You’ve got to recognize your role changes from year-to-year and team-to-team depending who you’re playing for. I think once camp opens up here and things kind of start working themselves out you’re going to be able to notice that. Is it going to be more of a penalty killing role for me, not as much of a five-on-five role, time will tell. I’ve played in that situation on other teams in the past. Is it going to be more faceoff driven or defensive zone driven? I’ve been on teams like that in the past as well. Time will tell what your role is going to be, what your niche is going to be on a team, but we’ve got to iron things out in camp and start feeling it out and seeing where they drop I guess.
***Every player wants to play as much as they can, but accepting your role, whatever it is, and doing it the best is what happens on successful teams. This is an attitude more players on this team need. It doesn’t mean you can’t want a bigger role, but instead of complaining about linemates or icetime, play great when you are on the ice and the coach will notice. Hendricks understands this.***
Kassian: You had some really young players like Darnell Nurse take on a prominent role with your defense last year. From skating with them already what have you seen from the young D-men in terms of physical development or development over all heading into the season?
Hendricks: I obviously have seen that maturity. What I really like seeing from Brandon Davidson right now is that this is my job, kind of a mentality. Last year with Davey maybe he was a little bit hesitant, maybe he wasn’t on top of his game right away. Now he’s kind of taking this as this is it my job and I’m here to do my job and be in a very professional about the way that he’s showing up at the rink every day. Darnell looks bigger and stronger and seems focused as well.
Gregor: Have you skated with Oscar Klefbom how does he look?
Hendricks: Yeah, he’s skated a few times now. He’s doing well, sounds like he’s kind of in the clear with the injury he had last season. And, man, are we looking forward to getting him back on our blue line because he does a lot of things really well for our club.
Gregor: You’re going to have the same coach, which is rare the decade in Edmonton. How much easier is that for your team, especially when you still have a lot of young players?
Hendricks: Yeah, that’s, it’s definitely nice for the younger guys being a little bit more comfortable with the systems and such. Training camp can be hectic as it is, especially for a younger guy who hasn’t gone through it many times. So with the new coach and the new systems it makes it tough. Having Todd back, I know it will be a little easier for the younger guys. For me, I think he runs things very well. It will be a very smooth practice, very smooth camp like last season. Very upbeat and fast pace but smooth, there are no real hiccups. I think our coaching staff as a whole did a great job planning and preparing everyone for this time of the year and I think we had a great camp last year. I was a little bit down on the way we performed on the ice once the game started, but in terms of the way the camp went, I was really satisfied.
***If you recall, last season the Oilers lost their first four games and seven of their first ten. They never recovered. The season was over in October essentially. Hendricks addressed it with his first answer earlier, but he slid it in again. The team needs to be aware of how crucial a good start is for them. They are simply not good enough to dig themselves out of a hole. Yes, Anaheim did it last year after winning once in their first ten games, but they have won 151 games the past three years. The Oilers have won 84. Their situations are not remotely close.**
Kassian: Heading into in this training camp, what do you think is the most important thing to focus on is for this team?
Hendricks: Um… that’s a great question. There are a lot of aspects we needed to improve from last season, but I really think that we need to come together as a group. We need to be a confident group heading into the season. We have to have that swagger, that attitude that we’re going to go in and win some games. If our power play needs to win us games, they can win us games. If our penalty kill needs to win us games, they can win us games. If our goaltending needs to win us games, they can do the same. We have to have the attitude our team is going to be a great team, no matter where you’re looking in the roster from the first line to the fourth line, first defenseman to the sixth defenseman. We’re going to be a team that is going to play for each other, competes for each other and we’re going to win more hockey games because of it.
***This is the mental part of the game that can not be defined by any statistic. Believing in yourself and your team is crucial for success, and listening to Hendricks he admits it is an element they’ve lacked. It is understandable considering all the losing, but at some point the players have to change it. You hope it occurs this season.**
Gregor: You’ve captained Team USA for the last few years so obviously you’re a proud American, however you have some teammates on team North America. How do you feel when watch this tournament when North America plays?
Hendricks: Well (laughs), I like watching that team for sure, just the way they play and their speed and their ability to generate offense is exciting. Time will tell as this tournament gets going, what it’s going to be like, how open the hockey is going to be. I think looking at the Canadians and the Americans, the games are really going to tighten up in terms of offensive production but time will tell. I think that it’s going to come down to the big men, the veterans if you will. I think they are going to be the ones standing at the end, but I’m looking forward to an exciting hockey tournament, that’s for sure.
Gregor: Back in March the NHL and the NHLPA agreed they were going to shrink the size of goalie pants and the chest and arm protectors. Here we are now, it’s September 13th, the goalies haven’t ordered new pants and they haven’t seen any. As a member of the PA are you frustrated that something that was decided six months ago looks like it might not, definitely not the chest protectors, will change for the start of the season?
Hendricks: I guess if everyone is the same, I’m fine with it. If nobody has a big advantage I’m fine with it. (Laughs). it’s a tough question for me, I’d love to see them in a lot smaller pads to be honest for my own game. When it comes down to it everybody has got the same gear on and the same measurements, no one has a huge advantage over the other player, so I’m fine with it. I’m sure that it will get ironed out here soon and I’m sure they’re going to throw them down in the lower leagues for a while and just see how it goes, kind of that pilot program that you’ve seen them do so many different times for different areas of the game as well.
Kassian: So what you’re saying is a paralyzer (Hendricks SO move) will work better when the pants are smaller?
Hendricks: (Laughs) Yeah, I guess so. I don’t know. Too many goalies are figuring that move out and I don’t have much left in the bag.
Gregor: You had all summer to plan, will we see you pull out a new version?
Hendricks: (Laughs) Well maybe. I don’t know, I can’t tell you though, because I don’t know who is listening right now (laughs).
WRAP UP
I always appreciate Hendricks blunt honesty. He won’t shy away from discussing the weaknesses in his team, but he does so in a way that is respectful. The start of the year is so important and the Oilers have a very favourable schedule. They don’t leave Canada until November.
They play on the 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th and 20th, without having to leave the province with only one road game in Calgary.
Then they have two days off, play in Winnipeg for the Heritage Classic on the 23rd, two more days off before playing on the 26th, 28th and 30th.
Only two of their first nine opponents made the playoffs last year, St. Louis and Washington, both home games. They play the Flames twice, Sabres, Hurricanes, Jets, Canucks and Senators.
A heavy home schedule without many top teams is a perfect recipe for the Oilers, now they have to take advantage of it.
And one other aspect, if I’m Todd Mclellan I would strongly consider playing Cam Talbot in all nine games. He will have ample time to rest. I know it might not be ideal for Jonas Gustavsson to not play for a month, but many teams have used their starter a lot early in the season. I see no reason the Oilers can’t do the same with Talbot, especially if he is in a groove.
They play a lot of games in November and December so they can use Gustavsson then. I’d be much more concerned about a good start for the team than playing the backup once in the first nine games.
PARTING SHOT
Congratulations to Shawn Horcoff on a solid NHL career. He is 4th all time on the Oilers games played list with 796 and another 35 playoff games highlighted by the excellent 2006 Cup run. Horcoff will join me at 2:20 MDT today on TSN 1260 to discuss his career and his new job in player development with the Detroit Red Wings. You can listen online here.
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