News of the Edmonton Oilers potentially hiring former NHL head coach Mike Babcock has not sat well with fans and media. Reactions have gone from surprise to outrage.
But now, it appears that the possible arrival of the former Stanley Cup and Olympic gold-medal-winning coach isn’t going down well with players either.
According to an X post by the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast, one Oilers player is purportedly prepared to weigh his options should Babcock become the next bench boss in Edmonton.
Now, take that rumor with several grains of salt.
First, the source in question isn’t precisely a household insider name. That doesn’t mean that the 2 Mutts Podcast is making this up, but the comment doesn’t carry the same weight as if it came from a more trusted source.
Second, there is actually some merit to the claim. The overall sentiment across the Oilers Nation has been one of rejection at the idea of Babcock returning to a role behind the bench. However, until an identity is attached to the comment, it won’t really gain credibility.
Third, Babcock’s hiring isn’t clear-cut. There might be issues with previous allegations during Babcock’s brief tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. If significant objections arise, the Oilers may not be able to proceed with hiring the coach in question.
Oilers Would Alienate Players and Fanbase with this Hire
Suffice it to say, the Edmonton Oilers would alienate players and fans by making such a controversial hire. As soon as the rumors hit of the organization considering Babcock, repudiation of the idea became manifest.
Even if the Oilers were just spitballing about the idea of hiring Babcock, the situation simply has not gone down well at all. And if the organization does decide to follow through, it risks sending the wrong message to players.
The most evident player in question is captain Connor McDavid. With the clock ticking on his time in Edmonton, the club cannot afford to waste another season.
Worse yet, should the Oilers hire Babcock, it could trigger McDavid’s representation to ask for a trade.
If fans think that’s impossible, they should look no further than the Detroit Red Wings. Dylan Larkin’s trade request has opened the door for other NHL stars to let their teams know they want out.
That’s the unfortunate fate that the Oilers face at this point.
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Edmonton’s Bungling of Coaching Situation Led to Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel
It’s evident that the Oilers’ bungling of their head coaching situation needlessly put them in a tough spot. The club didn’t have to fire Kris Knoblauch. But when word got out that the organization was looking at other coaches, the information leak pretty much forced the team’s hand.
Now, the Oilers are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Their preferred candidate, Bruce Cassidy, is locked in the Vegas Golden Knights’ dungeon for one more season. In the meantime, Edmonton has to figure out what to do for this upcoming season.
It seems the plan is to have a placeholder until Cassidy can shake off his Vegas shackles. But what is the organization going to do in the meantime? There doesn’t seem to be a suitable fill-in for this upcoming season. And that’s no bueno for a team that’s supposed to be a Stanley Cup contender.
Unless GM Stan Bowman figures out a miraculous solution, the Oilers could be headed into a death spiral.
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