A legendary NHL coach is suddenly being linked to the Oilers and fans are losing it
The Edmonton Oilers coaching search just took a sharp turn, and it's raising eyebrows across the league.
Mike Babcock's name is back in the conversation.
That alone tells you where things stand.
Frank Seravalli pointed to the idea that Edmonton could explore «distressed assets» behind the bench - and Babcock was the example.
That's not noise.
That's a signal.
The Oilers are digging deep for answers.
And it comes at a time when the organization is clearly re-evaluating everything behind the bench.
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A legendary NHL coach is suddenly being linked to the Edmonton Oilers and fans are losing it
This isn't a typical candidate pool anymore.
Edmonton has already been linked to multiple options, but nothing has stuck. Some names aren't available, others aren't interested, and suddenly the search is getting complicated.
Fast.
Looking at a coach like Babcock suggests the Oilers are willing to take a gamble to reset their structure.
Because that's what this would be.
A gamble.
Babcock hasn't coached in the NHL since 2019, and his last stint ended under heavy scrutiny. Bringing him back would instantly shift the tone in that locker room.
And not quietly.
For a team built around elite talent, that decision would carry real weight.
Especially with expectations where they are.
The Oilers aren't trying to build.
They're trying to win now.
That's what makes this angle so interesting.
Because going after a «distressed» coaching option isn't the safe move - it's a desperate one.
Or at least, it looks that way from the outside.
There's still time before anything becomes official, but one thing is clear.
Edmonton's search isn't following a clean path.
And now, it just got a lot more unpredictable.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 26, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Gabriel Landeskog | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Cole Smith | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Mark Stone | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Dylan Coghlan | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nic Dowd | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nazem Kadri | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brayden McNabb | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Martin Necas | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Shea Theodore | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Mackenzie Blackwood | - | - | - | |
| Brent Burns | - | - | - | |
| Ross Colton | - | - | - | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | - | - | - | |
| Jack Drury | - | - | - | |
| Jack Eichel | - | - | - | |
| Noah Hanifin | - | - | - | |
| Carter Hart | - | - | - | |
| Tomas Hertl | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||