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Mike Babcock on managing matchup assignments: “I’ll spend maybe ten games in a row of each guy getting their opportunity so that they are ready for any matchup come playoff time”

Travis Dermott was talking about how he and Igor Ozhiganov are working on communicating better. Where do you see opportunity for them to improve?

Babcock: They’ve got to be better defensively. Dermy has quick-twitch fibers and he can move the puck and do all of those things, but you’ve got to be good defensively and you can’t make mistakes at key times in games. That’s part of being a kid and learning.

Ozzy has unbelievable skill, size, stick, brain. Good defensively. He’s got to get quicker and knows that and has worked at it.