Mike Babcock is on the verge of landing the Edmonton Oilers head coaching job, according to a report that surfaced this morning from Jeff Marek on Oilersnation Everyday.
The word out of Edmonton is that the NHL's investigation into Babcock is expected to result in no action taken against him.
That changes everything for Stan Bowman and the Oilers front office.
The report indicates that if Edmonton is not granted permission to interview Bruce Cassidy, Babcock becomes the hire.
Jeff Marek on Oilersnation Everyday says it's believed nothing will come from the NHL's investigation into Mike Babcock.
If the Oilers aren't granted permission to interview Bruce Cassidy, Babcock is expected to be named Edmonton's next head coach.
That's a significant qualifier. Cassidy remains under contract, and getting permission to speak with him is far from guaranteed.
So the Oilers' plan B might actually be their plan A all along.
Babcock returning to coaching after NHL investigation clears him
Babcock hasn't coached in the NHL since stepping down from the Toronto Maple Leafs in November 2019 amid a player welfare controversy.
Coming back into the league's most demanding market, with Connor McDavid carrying a $12.5 million cap hit and Leon Draisaitl at $14 million, is not a low-pressure re-entry.
This is a franchise that finished 41-30-11 in the regular season and went out in six games to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs.
Edmonton scored 282 goals this year and gave up 269. The offense is there. The margins clearly are not.
Whoever takes the bench inherits a loaded but fragile roster with a shrinking championship window.
Babcock's track record at the top level is undeniable, two Stanley Cups and Olympic gold. But the circumstances of his departure from Toronto cast a long shadow that has never fully gone away.
Is that shadow gone now, or just faded enough for a desperate franchise to look past it?
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Some Oilers fans will welcome a proven winner. Others will never be comfortable with this hire, and that divide inside the fanbase is real.
What matters most right now is what McDavid and Draisaitl think when they see that name posted outside the coaching office.
Should the Oilers hire Mike Babcock as their next head coach?
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