Just when you think the Edmonton Oilers couldn’t do anything else to set them apart as one of the most questionably run franchises in the NHL, word leaks that the hockey club is checking into the legalities of hiring Mike Babcock as their next head coach. Elliotte Friedman reported, “It’s real. They are considering it. According to several sources, Babcock has spoken directly with owner Daryl Katz.”
Word got out about three weeks ago that this might be on Edmonton’s radar. Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer and former NHL GM Brian Lawton had a conversation, throwing Babcock’s name around. The idea quickly faded. The story didn’t really go anywhere, particularly because it was believed the Oilers still had their sights set on ex-Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy. When Dreger reported that he had, at the time, spoken with Babcock himself, and the rumor didn’t have much in the way of teeth, the story essentially died. Dreger wrote on social media, “I asked Babcock this morning about the idea of coaching again and the speculation around the Oilers. He said, “Dregs, I’m retired. Loving it”.
Fast-forward almost a month, and a dead narrative has come back to life. This has become more than just an idea. It’s potentially a reality that the players seem to be good with.
Babcock’s History Is Questionable
The last team to hire Babcock was the Columbus Blue Jackets. Then-GM Jarmo Kekalainen called the hiring “a mistake” in an official statement. Why? Well, he got busted going through players’ phones and looking at private messages and images to see if they were “focused.”
Before that, Babcock had rookie Mitch Marner rank his teammates’ work ethic. Abusing his power to make Marner feel obligated to do such a lousy thing to his teammates, Babcock then told all the players who were below on the list that Marner didn’t think they worked very hard.
Columbus overlooked Babcock’s garbage reputation, thinking he’d potentially changed his ways. They learned the hard way, and before he even made it to training camp, that he hadn’t. He hasn’t been near an NHL coaching job since.
This Move By the Oilers Stinks of Desperation
The Oilers did this to themselves, and if it wasn’t so sad, it would be funny.
Fans can go back years to try to pinpoint where things started to go sideways. Maybe it was firing Ken Holland. Perhaps letting Jeff Jackson (McDavid’s agent) take over and sign a handful of players that flopped, thus allowing the Blues to swoop in and scoop up two up-and-coming difference-makers via offer sheets, was a bad omen. Maybe bringing in Stan Bowman, who himself had a bad reputation following the incidents in Chicago, was the mistake.
This summer, the Oilers telegraphed, then leaked word that they were trying to hire Bruce Cassidy from the Vegas Golden Knights. When Vegas said no, the Oilers backed themselves into a corner and had to fire Kris Knoblauch — who, by the way, hadn’t even started his new three-year extension. Now, as big names come off the board and other coaches aren’t available, Edmonton is scrambling. They’re looking at temporary options, and at a coach who could bounce back and help Edmonton win. The only issue is that all evidence points to the contrary.
Oilers insider Jason Gregor said, “This is the person that some people think, oh, the Oilers should look at because he won a Stanley Cup. It’s an embarrassing recommendation to even mention it.” He added in a column at Oilers Nation:
“This is not a hot take, and I don’t even think it should be controversial. Mike Babcock has lost the right to be an NHL coach. His actions, spread out over multiple teams, are why he shouldn’t even be mentioned as a possibility. If you are a believer in second chances, Babcock had his second chance in 2023 when Columbus hired him on July 1st, 2023. They hired him after knowing about the Mitch Marner story from Toronto.”
What Chaos! found out about the Babcock news while doing a live show. Their initial reaction was “That is the most, we are a team that hired Stan Bowman fu–ing move.” DJ Bean added, “I hate when your team is obviously the stupidest team.” Pete Blackburn added, “This is straight up the funniest thing that could possibly happen.”
The Oilers Players Are On Board with Babcock Hiring
What might be the most interesting thing about all of this is that the Oilers leadership group seems to like the idea.
Friedman added, “Babcock has met with or spoken to several members of the team’s leadership group. Whatever happened in those meeting(s) was enough to get the players on board with the idea.” They want a harder coach who won’t let the team slip. Babacock will push, and the team’s top players want it.
What will be interesting to see if this is a short-term, one-year thing while the Oilers wait for Cassidy to become available. Or, is Edmonton thinking about giving Babcock more than one year to do his thing?
Has everyone in Edmonton just gotten to the point where they’re ready to make what feels like the most desperate move ever?
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