The Edmonton Oilers made a controversial move behind the bench this offseason as they brought on Mike Babcock as the team’s new coach. General manager Stan Bowman hopes Babcock is the guy that can take this team that has routinely come up short in the playoffs over the edge.
Babcock had a meeting with Edmonton’s top leadership core ahead of his official appointment as head coach. In said meeting, Babcock was brutally honest in his conversation with the Oilers stars that included Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Babcock Called Out McDavid and Draisaitl
According to insider Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Babcock told McDavid and Draisaitl that they have been as much a part of the problem in regards to why the Oilers have failed to win a Stanley Cup with this group thus far.
Those are harsh words for two players that have largely carried this Edmonton team on their backs throughout their respective tenures in the NHL. The biggest reason the Oilers have consistently iced competitive hockey teams every year is the contributions of McDavid and Draisaitl. The two are among the best players in the league and have been able to lead this team to two finals in 2024 and 2025.
Nevertheless, both players are without a Cup ring at the moment. Time is passing quickly as they have been around for over a decade with this team. The chance to win a championship in Edmonton dwindles with each passing year that results in a postseason failure.
A big part of the rationale for why Edmonton decided on Babcock as their guy is the thought that he will push this group hard. This is what McDavid and Draisaitl apparently wanted. Management clearly believes Babcock will provide a commanding presence to this team in the room that they have not had.
Babcock Hire Will Continue to be Questioned
There is no doubt that the Oilers Babcock hire will continue to receive high scrutiny, especially after these comments have surfaced. Dogging on the team’s franchise players for why they have not won seems like a bold strategy by Babcock.
With that said, this speaks to the pressure that Edmonton is dealing with in the present. There are few teams, if any, in the NHL that have greater expectations than the Oilers when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup. This team has to win a championship while they have two of the games best players on their roster. Failing to do so would be a catastrophe for the organization.
The pressure is on for Babcock as well. He knows this opportunity could be his last to coach in the NHL. He needs to make the best of it; he has the team at his disposal to work with. If the Oilers are to win, it will have to mainly come from the efforts of McDavid and Draisaitl. For a coach that has been critiqued for how he has handled role players, perhaps this is a sign that Babcock has changed. Only time will tell.
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