The Edmonton Oilers might not be getting the full Mike Babcock experience yet, but they're certainly getting a free trial's worth of it.
After news broke of the Oilers' efforts to hire the former Red Wings head coach as their new bench boss, the hockey world brutally eviscerated them. Among those reactions, fans claimed it would truly accelerate Connor McDavid's departure.
Yesterday, the NHL Players' Association asked the league to look into the allegations that Babcock invaded players' privacy during his short tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Today, the league granted that request and is now looking into the allegations that saw Babcock resign from the role of Blue Jackets head coach.
With the news of the investigation being launched, Darren Dreger clarified that this could be a lengthy process, especially given that all players and staff from that 2023 Blue Jackets team will more than likely be required to provide testimony.
There’s no timeline on how quickly this can be carried out. The Oilers are aware of this. Players involved, etc in 2023 will have to be interviewed. If Babcock were to back out at this stage, a league source says there would be no reason to investigate. https://t.co/fTGfMh3iGW
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 10, 2026
Oilers' coaching search hinges on the results of the investigation, but they're already getting set back
Let's set Babcock's actions and the Oilers willingness to hire him aside for a second.
The fact that this investigation is happening only throws a wrench into the Oilers' already-southbound coaching search. They already missed out on Peter Laviolette, who was hired by the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, and they've been unable to get permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to talk to Bruce Cassidy.
I'm sure that the Oilers were aware that they would need permission to hire Babcock, but it remains to be seen if they have other candidates to speak to. The team was given permission to speak to former Toronto Maple Leafs bench boss Craig Berube, and ex-Kings head coach D.J. Smith could be another option worth exploring. But even then, if the Oilers are willing to support their hopes of bringing in Babcock, they could be in for the long haul as the league continues its investigation.
That investigation could seemingly take some time, perhaps up to the start of the draft and free agency. And if the investigation bleeds into that period of time, then maybe there is a chance that the Oilers' draft picks opt to stay with their respective college programs, development leagues, or international teams. In the case of free agency, such an investigation could easily steer prospective players away from a potential contract with the Oilers, leaving the front office not much flexibility when it comes to giving McDavid and Co the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
The Oilers wrote themselves into this mess, but there is a way out. It involves Babcock opting to remove himself from consideration or the front office doing so to save face. Either way, the Oilers have tarnished their image significantly over the past few days; no matter the outcome of the investigation, it is going to take a lot of hard work to repair their relationship with the league, their own fanbase, and prospective players and staff members.
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