Opinion: Would The Edmonton Oilers Hiring Mike Babcock Really Be Worth It?
For as long as superstar centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been cornerstone members of the Edmonton Oilers, the clock has been ticking on the organization to win a Stanley Cup.
In their pursuit of a championship, the Oilers have made a few regrettable decisions – but none could be more regrettable than Edmonton's reported attempt to hire veteran coach Mike Babcock.
After a slew of allegations centered on his substandard treatment of his players, Babcock was virtually radioactive after being hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in July 2023 and resigning 10 weeks later.
'I Think Players Want To Be Pushed': Why Oilers Are Trying To Hire Mike Babcock
Mike Babcock has been accused of being a bully and not treating players well. So why are the Edmonton Oilers considering hiring him? Former NHL coach Bruce Boudreau gave his analysis.
With any coach Edmonton could hire, getting off to a strong start is important, and not winning the Stanley Cup will lead to questions about their performance.
With Babcock, it's win or bust.
Imagine what will take place if the Oilers under Babcock come out of the gate 5-15-0 in their first 20 games. In fact, imagine what will happen if Edmonton doesn't come out of the gate leading the relatively weak Pacific Division. The critics will come out of the woodwork like never before.
And what will Oilers GM Stan Bowman say then? That Babcock has won a Cup, and that's what makes his old-school approach defensible? As if that justifies hiring a coach in Babcock who hasn't won a playoff round since 2013.
Some of you might think Edmonton is making a Vegas Golden Knights-type cold-blooded move, but the potential for this Babcock hiring to backfire is tremendous. The Oilers may have wanted Cassidy as their successor to Kris Knoblauch, but Vegas has exercised its contractual right to prevent Cassidy from signing with any team of its choosing while he's under contract.
Golden Knights Budge On The Bruce Cassidy Saga – Just Not Enough
The saga of the Vegas Golden Knights and ex-coach Bruce Cassidy continues. One team was granted permission to talk to him, but handling the situation on a case-by-case basis is still the wrong move, writes Adam Proteau.
In any case, if hiring Babcock feels like a desperate move for Edmonton, that's because it is. Bowman has pushed his chips behind a coach who's been criticized by many players who have played under him.
In fairness, every coach has at least a few players who didn't enjoy playing for them. But this is different. The ferocity with which Mike Commodore, Johan Franzen, Daniel Winnik and others have talked about Babcock separates the coach from the rest of the coaching field and not in a good way.
You can say Babcock is a proven winner at every level. That's true. He also said back in July 2023, a few months before his resignation, that his break from the NHL gave him a chance to see what he was doing and understand he needed to change.
But at some point, teams must be held responsible for their decisions, and this is what we must remember with Babcock and the Oilers. Edmonton has reportedly decided, of its own volition, to hire someone whose alleged conduct in Columbus was described as "in a light least favorable to Mr. Babcock" by the NHL. And if it goes sideways for them next year, the Oilers will have no excuses for desperately choosing a coach whose best-before date has passed.
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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 3:25 PM.