The Oilers May Make Their Biggest Gamble Yet

In a recent interview, hockey insider Elliotte Friedman was asked about what was going on in Edmonton with the Oilers’ news about the possible hiring of Mike Babcock. His take was basically that the choice was wild, messy, and smelled like panic. He told The FAN Hockey Show that the noise around Edmonton actually pursuing Mike Babcock feels real. But he believes that most of the chatter is coming from the top (ownership/front office) more than from a calm, strategic place.

There’s No Room for Error for the Oilers

Friedman kept circling back to one theme: “no room for error.” The Oilers are in a short fuse situation with the clock ticking on management and everyone desperate to show progress, so they’re apparently willing to chase big-name fixes, even risky ones. Deep in the minds of Oilers management is Connor McDavid’s contract. The organization is doing everything it can to make him want to stay.

A few of Friedman’s main points stuck out. First, there’s the weird timing: why push this now rather than wait to see what Vegas does with Bruce Cassidy? Friedman wondered the same. He believed it would be prudent to wait until the Final ends. That said, Edmonton doesn’t expect the Golden Knights to give permission. And, with that as an issue, they feel they need and want to move fast.

Second, he stressed how unusual it would be for this to be purely a player-driven hire. He thinks ownership is the engine here. He also heard that the leadership group has been talked to and seems amenable to a harder coach. However, Friedman made it clear that the players were consulted, but they were not in charge.

The Baggage Babcock Brings Is Problematic

Friedman also flagged optics and history. Babcock’s baggage is massive. The problem behaviours include the Columbus phone-snooping stuff, the Marner-ranked-teammates episode, and a whole trail of actions that got him in trouble. Friedman agreed that the Oilers’ approach was “a Hail Mary” — a desperate gamble rather than a carefully thought-out plan.

He admitted it’s possible Babcock could squeeze more out of a veteran roster, but asked whether the potential short-term gain is worth the cultural and PR risk. That’s especially true when the organization already feels fragile and under pressure to deliver. For everyone involved, any misstep would be magnified.

The Players Wanted a Stern Voice

Finally, the human side came into play. Friedman said the Oilers feel like they need a “stern voice” right now. He suspects ownership wants to flip a switch and force accountability fast, and they see Babcock as someone who could do that.

But Friedman warned that rushing into this without full due diligence, while public memory of past controversies is fresh, is basically asking for trouble. The bottom line from Friedman is that this could happen, and people around Edmonton seem resigned to the possibility. That said, it feels like desperation more than confidence. If they’re banking on a quick fix, they’re playing with fire.

Related: NHL Waiting on Oilers as Potential Mike Babcock Investigation Looms