The Edmonton Oilers are preparing for the season ahead after reshaping their roster and coaching staff, but the conversation surrounding the team has centered on much more than systems and line combinations.
Mike Babcock’s return has reopened old debates across the hockey world, and they have continued into late July now. Former players and analysts are still questioning whether his past can truly be separated from his future as the offseason unfolds.
Frank Corrado Blasts Oilers HC Mike Babcock
Babcock has yet to coach a regular-season game behind Edmonton’s bench, but his arrival has already become one of the NHL’s most talked-about storylines.
During an appearance on First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo, former Maple Leafs defenseman and TSN analyst Frank Corrado argued that Babcock’s return will remain a focal point throughout the season, especially during Edmonton’s nationally televised matchups.
Corrado first discussed the visibility surrounding the Oilers’ early-season meetings with the Toronto Maple Leafs (Oct. 24 and Nov. 14), noting that those Saturday games will naturally attract a massive audience. Although coaches rarely receive the same spotlight as players, he believes television coverage will ensure Babcock remains impossible to ignore.
“It’s different because, for a coach, they don’t really highlight the coach before the game,” Corrado explained. “He never touches the puck, so I think that one is more for an online TV audience. The TV audience will see the director cut to the coach every time a goal goes in or things of that nature.”
While the broadcast attention was one point of discussion, Corrado’s strongest remarks centered on Babcock’s conduct during his brief tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He criticized the veteran coach for publicly criticizing members of his own staff, describing it as a violation of the trust expected within the coaching fraternity.
“He took some serious shots at people who were supposed to be on his staff, and that’s a bit of a no-no in that coaching world,” Corrado said. “They’re supposed to be banded together. They’re a part of the NHL Coaches Association, and he didn’t really hold back in that regard.”
Corrado made it clear that he believes Babcock crossed a line, adding, “Quite honestly, he was in the wrong, and he didn’t hold back, which is crazy to me.”
He then delivered his most forceful criticism by saying, “I think if you’re the other coaches on that staff, you look at that and just shake your head and say, ‘This guy is completely out of control.’ I was going to say he’s a complete tyrant, but yeah, I think that’s fair.”
These comments add to a long list of criticisms that have followed Babcock throughout his coaching career. Allegations involving former players, including Mitch Marner, Johan Franzen, Mike Modano, Mike Commodore, and others, have continued to fuel debate over his leadership style, while his 2023 departure from Columbus after an NHLPA investigation remains a significant part of that conversation.
The NHL ultimately cleared Babcock to return, paving the way for Edmonton to hire him as its 19th head coach alongside associate coach D.J. Smith.
Even so, Corrado’s remarks reinforce the idea that every milestone, every nationally televised game, and every setback this season will bring renewed scrutiny. This will make Babcock’s return one of the league’s most closely watched stories in the upcoming season.
