TALKING POINTS: Tippett speaks via video conference call

EDMONTON, AB - Oilers Head Coach Dave Tippett fielded questions from the media from a video call on Tuesday.
Tippett touched on a range of topics during the availability, providing an update on injured Oilers players, disclosing how much contact he's had with the skaters and more. Read or watch Tippett's full comments below.
Q: You've built motorcycles over the years and have done construction in the past. Have you found any new projects to work on during the stoppage?
A: I haven't done too much yet. I'm just hanging around home here. When I got back to Arizona, I kind of quarantined for 14 days. I've gone on some hikes and a couple things like that but haven't got into any big projects yet. Lots of talking on the phone and lots of making sure people are up to date on where things are at.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT
WRITTEN
FEATURE: Nothing Nuge About It
BLOG: McDavid voted top forward by NHLPA
BLOG: Draisaitl keeping outlook positive
FEATURE: The Captain's Incredible Comeback
BLOG: McDavid conference call content
FUTURE WATCH: Lavoie adapting to dominate
FEATURE: Leon's Big Leap
PODCAST
In Depth Podcast: Best of Alumni
VIDEO
RAW | Draisaitl
REWIND 19-20: McDavid
NHL 20: EDM 10, CGY 3
Q: What are your thoughts after having Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Ennis and Mike Green for a few weeks. How did you think they were coming along, where they were fitting in, etc?
A: It's interesting. That's one of the things I'm most disappointed about. From the start of the year to where we ended, there was a lot of growth within our group. We had some injuries and adding those players late, I think we were still in the process of finding where all the parts fit. I talk about it all the time, we need rhythm in our lineup. You're always trying to find that rhythm and chemistry throughout it. It was still a work in progress with our new guys and we had (James) Neal come back from long-term injury, we had some people coming back in. I liked the depth that we had. Were we right in synch yet? I would have liked that last 11 games to evaluate that. So, that's the disappointing part.
But I think we were moving in the right direction. It was funny, we played two or three games there of the last five that I didn't think we played very well and our goaltenders played excellent. And then in the Winnipeg game, after I watched it, I looked back and thought we did some things a lot better that game. It's frustrating not to be able to push that along. As far as the players, I think all the guys that came in, we only had a short look at Green but obviously he's a veteran in the League and we have an idea of what he can do. I think Double-A (Athanasiou) when a young player like that moves organizations, his first move, a player that hadn't moved around much before, the adjustment period gets to be longer. I think Ennis came in and jumped in right away. He had been on a couple other teams, is a veteran guy and knows how to read and react. He adapted a little quicker, maybe. But like I say, having the ability to bring those guys along and get acclimated was something we were looking forward to. Hopefully, we still get that chance but we'll have to restart to get going.
Q: Is there an update on Green and Joakim Nygard with their injuries?
A: I think both of them if we started anytime soon here, both of them would be able to play. They both were in rehab in Edmonton for a while. I think Green might still be in Edmonton. His injury I wouldn't say is 100 percent healed but it's pretty close. Nygard has just got to continue therapy on that hand but he's been working hard. I think he's gone back to Sweden for a little bit. Both of them, I think, would certainly be ready to go if we get around to starting again.
Q: Looking at formats for the regular season and playoffs, would you be open to a best-of-three between the top two teams in each division to determine who gets the first or second spot, while the other 16 teams play a best-of-three to get into playoffs?
A: I've talked and listened to a lot of different scenarios. It's hard to put it all into perspective without a timeline. Once a timeline becomes a little clearer, then you can start to get into different scenarios that might work. I go back to when there was playoffs series that were best of three, playoff series that were best of five, where you played four games in the first five nights then had a travel day and then you played the fifth game if you needed it. There are so many different scenarios but for me, it all comes down to how much time you have. Is there a time to finish some regular season games or all the regular season games? What's the time frame for playoffs that you envision? It's hard to comment on any one scenario when you don't know the timeline.
Q: Let's say when the playoffs resume after a long break, how do you think that will impact your team?
A: I know our guys are very hungry to get back in it. I was asked a question the other day about how teams will prepare and what I think of their mentality coming back. I think our group is a very motivated group. They wanted that learning experience of playing down the stretch. We feel like we're earned the right to be a playoff team, and now we want to see what we can do in the playoffs. They're very excited for that.
There's teams that think they can jump into the playoffs and have a chance to go on a good run and become a real good team in the playoffs, or there are teams I think are going to be the most motivated. I put our group in that mix. There's going to be teams that know they don't have a chance at a playoff spot, so they'll come back and play hard because they're playing for jobs next year. But the teams that are really motivated to go on a run in the playoffs, those are the ones I think will get the jump. I'd like to put our group in that mix.

Q: How much contact, if any, are you having with the players right now? Is there anything being done video-wise or hockey-related that you ask of them during the break?
A: No, a lot of contact just with the conditioning levels and how our strength & fitness people have been in contact with them all. I've talked to quite a few guys off and on, a lot of texts going back and forth,and there's a little bit of frustration on the players' part because they want to play. That's what they want to do. But they all understand the gravity of what's happening in the world right now and that patience is of the essence. They just hope at some point we get back and get to continue what we started this year.
Q: Missing out on these experiences, what are the things of value that your team is missing out on right now as far as fighting to get into playoffs and those sorts of things?
A: You get to those games where the intensity level is there, the pressure to win is there, and those are all things that you put in that memory bank. That's in the regular season to get that playoff spot, and then you get into a playoff series. Playoff series are different. You have one opponent. You've got to make adjustments not just in the game, but game-to-game. You have ways of finding advantages over a team when you're playing them night in, night out. Those are things that are different from your regular NHL schedule that you get into that playoff series, and you have to find ways to win. Sometimes those ways are different every night.
So those are experiences players go through, especially the young players, that they can put in the memory bank. As you continue to go through those scenarios, you build up more of that knowledge of what it takes to win in those scenarios. I talked to a bunch of people over the last few weeks, and St. Louis went through it a bunch of times before finally it just clicked in them. Now they're a very confident group. They think if they come back, they have a chance to compete for a second Cup because they have that knowledge in place. Those are things teams need to learn. Not just our team, but there are teams through the history of the League that go through those experiences and then break through. We'd like to have some of those experiences, so hopefully, we get our kick at the can to break through.
Q: Coming into the season, what did you think the chances of the team were? With the team at the time of the break pushing for first place in the Pacific, was that a surprise for you as much as it was for the other observers and journalists?
A: I think Ken (Holland) put it best when he said we wanted to be playing meaningful games in March. We've got ourselves in that position. It's hard when you're coming into a new situation because you don't know the players as well as you could, so my expectations were high coming in. When you have players like McDavid, Draisaitl, Klefbom and Nugent-Hopkins, you've got players that are good core players for you. You should be able to find a way to earn a playoff spot, so to say that my expectations weren't high would be wrong.
There's always surprises and dips that happen during the season and experiences you go through, but I like the way our team continued to trend up. Even when we had some downtimes, we found ways to rebound, found ways to grab it, and when you go through some of that adversity it helps you moving forward. I like where we are, and as I said before, the last little bit there before we finished we were trying to find a little rhythm in our lineup with adding (Tyler Ennis, Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green) to make us a deeper group and make us a real competitive group. We're still in the mode of doing that.
I like where we are, but would you rather be in first place? Sure, I'd rather be in first place. I'd be there all day long, but I think we were trending in the right way. I still think we're trending the right way, it's just we have to get back and get up and going to see where we actually get to.

Q: Taking the optimistic outlook, what do you think play will look like when the season does resume?
A: Again, it will depend on when it is. If we get back up and playing before the start of next season, it's going to be a quick jump into it. I'm sure there will be adequate time to get up fitness levels and get back skating for players but it'll be a little like the start of the season, where you've got to get up and going pretty quick. You're not going to have a 28-day training camp. I look back at some of my notes from back during the lockout, I don't even remember what year it was. I was in Arizona and we started at the 40 or 48-game mark or something like that. A short training camp, what it looked like, what we did and I had some looks at that to see if we can get up and going quick. Those are going to be the things where you have to get your team up and going.
It's a little different scenario because you know the players already. It's not as if it's a new season, but you're going to have to get up and going pretty quick. I look at our team, driven by our core players there, I think we can get up and running very quick.
Two guys that the rest might've done them some good, but they've got to get back to getting sharp again, are our two goaltenders. I'm always optimistic that we'd get up and going and get playing well as quick as possible.
Q: What do you think was the team's most significant area of improvement this season?
A: I would have to say our special teams. (Associate Coach) Jim Playfair did an excellent job with our penalty kill. Ken really brought in some key personnel that really helped that part of it. It helped our goals against come down a little bit. But just both of our special teams, with (Assistant Coach) Glen Gulutzan on the power play and Jim on the PK were both excellent. They were real keys to us winning a lot of games this year. Those would be the big ones.
I think for the most part our goaltending gave us the chance to win every night. You've got core players between Connor and Leon, you can't underestimate the value those guys have to our team and the ability for our team to win every night. Some real good pieces to the puzzle but we've got to continue to add to those pieces to make us an elite team in the league.
Q: Is there anyone in the Division, or even in the whole league, who it'd be entertaining to be quarantined with?
A: Holy crow. I don't know. I've got a lot of old teammates that were good roommates along the way but there's too many of them to mention, I think. I'm not sure. I'm quarantined with my wife right now, I'm enjoying that. That's probably where I'm at.