The Edmonton Oilers coaching search has taken a very concerning turn

On Monday afternoon, it was reported by Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman that the Los Angeles Kings had concluded their head coaching search and were set to hire veteran bench boss, Peter Laviolette.

As Friedman and other insiders reported, he was expected to be a finalist for both vacancies of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers.

His presence and pedigree would have made him a very attractive candidate for the Oilers who must now pivot to other options. This marks at least the second time publicly that the Oilers will have to switch their focus, given the ongoing Bruce Cassidy and Vegas Golden Knights situation which seems to be frustrating for all parties involved.

Oilers coaching search news

The Oilers search for a new head coach continues and despite losing out on Laviolette, there is no shortage of viable candidates.

The Cassidy situation continues to be something to monitor but with Friedman's reporting over the weekend indicating that the Oilers may not wait for Cassidy, the team will likely not get their man. Instead, they will have to look at other candidates like former Leafs coach Craig Berube.

Speaking of former Leafs coaches, another one seems to have entered the villa...

First reported by TSN insider Darren Dreger, the Oilers are speaking with the NHLPA to see if they will be allowed to hire controversial coach, Mike Babcock.

Babcock comes with plenty of baggage

During his time with the Detroit Red Wings, Babcock became a well regarded and revered head coach, winning a Stanley Cup in 2008. The Red Wings with him behind the bench made a return to the Finals the following year in a rematch against the Pittsburgh Penguins, losing in seven games to the young Sidney Crosby led Penguins.

Less than a year later he would help lead Team Canada's mens team at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, capturing gold, ironically off of Crosby's heroics. Babcock continued to coach the Red Wings as they declined with an aging core of Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, and Pavel Datsyuk. He then coached Canada once again at the 2014 games, capturing gold for a second straight Olympics.

Then, in 2015 he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, taking over their coaching vacancy to much applause in the early years. That was until the wheels started to fall off, the team continued to fall on their faces in the first round and a veteran coach refused to turn the team over to their budding young stars, digging his heels in during crucial late game scenarios by relying on his veterans.

After starting the 2019-20 season on a bad foot, having apparently lost the room, he was let go from the Maple Leafs. Shortly after, stories emerged of his mistreatment of Leafs young star, Mitch Marner in his rookie season. As well, past grievances came to the forefront from as damning as his verbal bullying of former NHLer Johan Franzen.

After multiple years out of the game, he was hired by the Blue Jackets in 2023, not even making it to training camp before being forced to resign after an odd story about him going through a player's phone became public. This is the main reason that the Oilers are speaking to the NHLPA, to make sure that it will not be contested following this incident.

As a coach who is not known for his player-friendly style, it seems odd to bring him into the mix at such a crucial time when the Oilers are trying to sell their team and the viability as a cup contender to captain Connor McDavid. Given the Oilers track record, it is not too surprising however but we will have to see how things play out. This may have ultimately been a strategic leak to gauge the reaction to his potential hiring and so far, it has not been great.

We can only hope that Bowman and co. listen.

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