There was a fair bit of news to go around in the NHL on Monday, June 8, but this piece of Edmonton Oilers news might just take the cake.
Moments after reports emerged that Peter Laviolette had agreed to sign a three-year deal as the new head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that the Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA about any issues regarding Mike Babcock’s availability.
With the Bruce Cassidy chase still at a dead end, Edmonton appears to be willing to exhaust any and all options before making a decision about who will take over behind the bench.
Oilers Fans Raise Questions Over Mike Babcock’s Candidacy
Dreger reported that the Oilers are seeing if the NHLPA has any objections against Babcock that must be resolved before potentially hiring the former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach.
Babcock, of course, infamously had a short-lived stint as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. He resigned from the post in 2023 without coaching a single game for the franchise.
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
Adding to Dreger’s report, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported: “If Mike Babcock does end up as coach in Edmonton, it wouldn’t surprise me if DJ Smith joined up with him again. But we’ll see where all this goes.”
Dreger later added that the NHL would “manage” the situation if an investigation is required for the Oilers to move forward with the hire.
The news of the Oilers enquiring about Babcock did not sit well with NHL fans.
“I don’t believe this,” wrote Shaedon, a former Oilers beat writer. “Was he hacked, or is this serious?” asked Annie, an NHL content creator.
“Are the Oilers that desperate?” asked another fan, while NHL on TNT researcher Chris Jastrzembski had a more telling reaction, writing, “Connor McDavid to Philly.”
The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn raised a more pertinent point: “The dying star of McDavid’s prime years comes down to Stan Bowman and Mike Babcock. Incredible stuff.”
Fan sentiment appears to be bordering on denial at this point, with the Vegas Golden Knights still holding off on permitting the Oilers to interview Bruce Cassidy. Speaking on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast last month, Cassidy made it clear that he was unhappy with how all of this is playing out.
“It’s upsetting, I’m gonna be honest. Because once you’re fired, your contract’s basically terminated. One thing people don’t realize is that you have non-compete clauses, so I can’t resign today and go work for someone tomorrow. I can’t work until Vegas gives me permission until this contract’s up, which is at the end of next season. So if I resign, all I do is not get paid,” Cassidy said.
“In this case, yes, there were two teams that asked; that’s public knowledge now. And I’d like to talk to them. I wanna go to work; I’m a hockey coach.”
With the LA Kings out of the running, the only logical coaching spot for Cassidy appears to be the Oilers, given the fact that the Leafs haven’t brought the 2023 Stanley Cup champion in for an interview just yet. Toronto’s own coaching search is heading into the next stage, though there have been no rumblings that Cassidy has been involved.
While Babcock has Stanley Cup-winning pedigree, having gotten his hands on Lord Stanley in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings (he also won gold at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and 2014 Sochi Olympics with Team Canada), he has spent most of the last few years in hockey exile.
Babcock’s coaching style is known to grate on players, and while he does have a reputation as a coach who knows how to get the best out of his roster, Oilers fans are hoping he is just one of several candidates being lined up in case the Cassidy chase goes sideways.
