There has been plenty of chatter regarding the Edmonton Oilers’ plans to hire Mike Babcock as their next head coach. While there has been plenty of scrutiny into his character and behavior, there have also been questions about his coaching style and lineup decisions.
One former NHLer, who played under Babcock in Toronto, cautioned Oilers fans about what to expect regarding the veteran coach’s decisions.
During an appearance on Leafs Morning Take, former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Frankie Corrado, a notable TSN analyst, discussed what he saw during his tenure under Babcock in Toronto.
“There were big games in the playoffs where Patrick Marleau was playing more than Auston Matthews because he wanted to play a certain line more.”
Corrado recalled such times when the budding Maple Leafs core didn’t have the trust of their former coach. That’s something that the ex-NHLer warns could happen to the Oilers.
“I can’t wait to see that happen in Edmonton… play Trent Frederic 17 minutes and play Leon Draisaitl 19 minutes. If that ever happens, I can’t wait to see the reaction.”
While the comments drew a chuckle, they’re not far from reality. During Babcock’s tenure in Toronto, the gold-medal-winning coach refused to go with his most talented players in crucial situations.
Yes, there was an argument to be made about the Leafs core at that point being too young. But that’s a legitimate concern for Oilers fans. Babcock has a reputation for fixating on certain players over others.
And there’s a risk that fixation could come at the expense of playing time for top players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, among others.
Oilers Lineup Could Go through the Blender
Another interesting characteristic of Babcock’s coaching style is shuffling lineups. The veteran coach has never shied away from putting his lineup through the blender to see what comes out of it.
It’s like he puts forward lines and defensive pairs in a giant bingo drum and sees what comes out of it.
While shaking things up isn’t necessarily a bad idea, it could become disruptive after a while. Players need rapport and familiarity with teammates in order to truly thrive. There’s so much talk about chemistry in sports that it becomes a major factor in signing and trading for players.
That’s why Oilers fans should be well aware of just how disruptive Babcock can truly be.
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Edmonton Might Have No Choice but to Pivot
As it stands, the NHL has asked the Oilers to hold off on officially hiring Babcock until its investigation into the 2023 allegations is over.
Perhaps the investigation is a nothing-burger. But it’s something the NHL wants to clear up before agreeing to Babcock returning to an NHL team.
The issue lies in the timeline attached to the inquiry: There is none. There is no firm timeline for how long the overall investigation could take. The league will likely interview players, witnesses, and gather evidence, whatever may remain, or the issues from about three years ago.
As such, some online chatter suggests the overall timeline could stretch well into July. That’s something that the Oilers may not want to see happen. Their best bet is to just pivot to other candidates.
Doing so would prevent the organization from getting a needless black eye, while preventing the Oilers’ offseason plans from stalling.
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