D.J. Smith joins Mike Babcock in Edmonton, and the Oilers just made their new bench feel a lot more defined.
This is not a minor add behind the scenes. Edmonton named Smith associate coach on Tuesday, giving Babcock a familiar voice beside him right away.
That matters because the connection is real, not cosmetic. Smith started his NHL coaching career under Babcock in Toronto in 2015, so this is a reunion built on history.
For the Oilers, that gives the hire more weight. Babcock is not walking into a brand-new setup alone. He is bringing in someone who already knows how he works day to day.
Smith also arrives with fresh head-coaching time on his résumé. He went 11-6-6 as Los Angeles' interim head coach from March 1 through the end of the 2025-26 regular season.
That recent run gives Edmonton something useful. Smith is not coming in as a career assistant only. He just handled a bench in real time and kept a club above water late in the year.
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Mike Babcock makes his first major decision as Oilers coach
That looks like the clearest read on this move. Smith gives Edmonton a coach Babcock trusts, but also one who has already run his own room for a long stretch.
His Ottawa record shows that part clearly. Over 317 games with the Senators, Smith posted a 131-154-32 mark, and those 131 wins rank second in franchise history among Ottawa head coaches.
There is junior success behind that too. Smith won 2 Memorial Cups during his time in Windsor, then guided Oshawa to an OHL title and another Memorial Cup in 2015.
That background matters for Edmonton's roster mix. The Oilers are trying to win now, but they still need coaches who can handle veterans, younger players, and lineup pressure without the room drifting.
Smith also brings a player's background that is not nothing. He got into 45 NHL games as a defenceman and played 393 AHL games over parts of 9 seasons.
Those numbers do not make the story on their own, but they help explain his bench presence. He has lived the depth-player grind, the call-up life, and the daily push to stay in the lineup.
The timing matters too. Edmonton had already named Babcock head coach, signed Connor Murphy to a 5-year contract, and signed Jason Dickinson to a 5-year contract before making this coaching move.
That tells you the Oilers are not easing through the summer. They are stacking decisions fast and trying to shape the team with a clear identity before camp gets close.
Smith fits that plan. He knows Babcock, he has recent bench command, and he gives Edmonton a louder, harder coaching staff than the one that was there before.
For the Oilers, this is the kind of hire that can sharpen the whole room. D.J. Smith is not just filling a chair beside Mike Babcock. He is part of the message Edmonton wants its bench to send.
Did the Oilers make the right call by adding D.J. Smith beside Mike Babcock?
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