The Edmonton Oilers are a joke of a team that never stops giving us new material, even as fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the Oilers want to hire Mike Babcock as their next head coach. But first, they need to consult the NHLPA to determine if thre are any objections to the potential hire.
Sources: The Edmtn Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock. Amid allegations of invading players privacy, Babcock resigned in CBJ as Head Coach in 2023. Further investigation may be required.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 8, 2026
As noted by Dreger, Babcock resigned from his spot as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets before he even coached a game, because allegations surrounding him diving into the personal lives of players while he was coaching the Leafs, came to light.
It was on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast all the way back in September 2023, that the most recent allegations came up. The hosts said that he was asking Blue Jackets players to see their phones and then casting their screens to his office TV. And previously, there were stories of him requiring then Leafs rookie Mitch Marner, to rank his teammates in Toronto, and then he shared Marner's list to the rest of the team -- to point out who Marner thought didn't work hard enough in the locker room and to embarrass the young player.
All of this is to say that now, the Oilers have to speak with a whole lot of current players to see if there would be a problem hiring Babcock.
Babcock is maybe the worst choice as Oilers head coach
As we all know well in Toronto, Babcock isn't the best choice as head coach to take a team very far. His tenure with the Leafs was supposed to start this era off on the right foot, but obviously, he affected the young players too much and was eventually fired in a move that people were begging for in the middle of his fifth season with the team.
The Leafs made the playoffs three out of Babcock's four full seasons with the team, and won a decent amount, but it was almost despite the coach's effect on the team. They never won a playoff round, obviously.
And now, he can potentially be brought in to Edmonton, as Connor McDavid's good-faith contract extension -- in which he extended with the Oilers for two more seasons at a severe discount, to give them a couple more opportunities to win with him -- and almost push the best hockey player on the planet out the door.
Good going, Edmonton. McDavid wants to win with the Oilers but now it's Stan Bowman and Mike Babcock running the show.
Maybe this all but guarantees him coming home to the Leafs in a couple years.
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