Mike Babcock’s Troubled Past Has Some Oilers Players Wary of Joining the Team

The Edmonton Oilers have a problem that no amount of Connor McDavid magic can fix.

After getting bounced by the Anaheim Ducks in the Western Conference Quarterfinal, general manager Stan Bowman fired head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart. Now the team is hunting for a replacement, and the top candidate is no stranger to controversy.

Mike Babcock — the same coach who resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 after accusations of invading players’ privacy — is the frontrunner for Edmonton’s vacant bench job. And not everyone is thrilled about it.

Players Quietly Pushing Back

According to multiple reports, some players and agents connected to the Oilers have serious reservations. Jason Gregor of Daily Faceoff spoke with an anonymous player whose clients include current NHL talent. That player didn’t mince words.

“The opportunity to play with McDavid or Draisaitl is diminished with the potential to be coached by Babcock. It is a valid concern voiced to me by a few of my clients,” the player said, via NHL Trade Rumors.

And it’s not just outside voices sounding alarms. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that multiple Oilers players are uneasy about the idea of Babcock taking over. According to Friedman, agents of players outside the team’s leadership group — meaning not McDavid, Draisaitl, or others in the inner circle — have voiced concerns. Some even suggested they wouldn’t want their clients traded to Edmonton if Babcock were hired.

“Several agents of Edmonton players who were not involved in direct conversations with Babcock also voiced concerns, adding they didn’t like the idea of clients being traded there, either,” Friedman said via Sportsnet.

The Double-Edged Resume

There’s no denying Babcock’s credentials. He led the Detroit Red Wings to a Stanley Cup in 2008, coached the Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, and won Olympic gold with Team Canada in 2010 and 2014. On paper, that pedigree screams “winner.”

But his reputation has taken a serious hit. The privacy allegations in Columbus raised red flags across the league, and now Edmonton’s front office must weigh whether the talent boost from a proven coach is worth the potential locker room fallout.

For a team with two generational talents in McDavid and Draisaitl, the margin for error is razor-thin. Bringing in a polarizing figure like Babcock could either galvanize the room or fracture it entirely. The Oilers haven’t made a final decision yet, but the rumblings from within suggest this isn’t a straightforward hire.

As one agent put it bluntly: even the chance to skate alongside the NHL’s best might not be enough to overlook Babcock’s baggage.