It appears the Edmonton Oilers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. After pulling the plug on the Kris Knoblauch era, Edmonton’s brass is on the lookout for a head coach who will help the Oilers take that one final step to the holy grail of hockey: the Stanley Cup.
While they’ve identified Bruce Cassidy as the man they wish to hire, the Vegas Golden Knights are being anything but cooperative, leaving the Oilers in limbo. Edmonton’s brass is reportedly interviewing other candidates in the meantime, but one long shot linked to the top job in Oil Country has now taken himself out of the running.
Mike Babcock Takes Himself Out of the Running for Oilers HC Job
With the Golden Knights dilly-dallying on permitting the Oilers to interview Cassidy, attention has turned to which candidates will be next in line.
Seasoned Oilers reporter Bob Stauffer speculated on whether Mike Babcock could be given a shot at the top job in Edmonton, given his credentials (700 career wins, 1-time Stanley Cup champion). The franchise is on the lookout for a veteran head coach to take over from Knoblauch, but it appears Babcock, the former Columbus Blue Jackets/Detroit Red Wings/Toronto Maple Leafs coach, is least interested in the job.
“I’m retired. Loving it,” was Babcock’s response when NHL insider Darren Dreger enquired about his availability.
I asked Babcock this morning about the idea of coaching again and the speculation around the Oilers. He said, “Dregs, I’m retired. Loving it”. https://t.co/G7kwEyduRw
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) May 20, 2026
That may be for the best. Babcock didn’t leave the best impression at his last job in Columbus.
In 2023, Babcock resigned as the head coach of the Jackets after the franchise launched an investigation into why he was asking players to show him photos on their phones. For his part, Babcock reportedly said he was asking for the pictures so he could get to know his players personally.
But the damage was done. Babcock resigned before ever coaching a game with the Blue Jackets. That exit will have left a sour taste, and it’s highly doubtful that players in this era would have responded to his coaching methods in light of the 2023 incident.
Oilers’ HC Candidates Tracker
In any case, Babcock was never truly a contender to replace Knoblauch. Craig Berube, meanwhile, has emerged as a potential option.
Since being fired from the Toronto Maple Leafs on May 13, 2026, Berube has landed an interview in Edmonton, though Oilers fans are not too happy with the choice.
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Berube’s Leafs captured the Atlantic Division title last season before losing to the Florida Panthers, who beat the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup two years in a row.
But the dropoff from Berube’s Leafs team was stark. Toronto’s form fell off a cliff as they embarked on the post-Mitch Marner era. Berube’s defensive system collapsed as Toronto conceded more shots than any team in the league. The offense also cratered as they ranked in the bottom 5% in just about every meaningful metric.
As of Wednesday, May 20, the Golden Knights still haven’t given the Oilers permission to interview Cassidy. While we may eventually see some reporting on how Berube’s interview went, Edmonton’s brass appears to be in no hurry to rush things, with Cassidy still the frontrunner.
