The Edmonton Oilers made it official on Tuesday: Mike Babcock is their new head coach. They also added D.J. Smith, the former Ottawa Senators bench boss who spent last season as the Los Angeles Kings’ interim coach, as an assistant. That part of the coaching staff is settled.
Now comes the hard part.
The Goaltending Problem That Won’t Go Away
Everyone in Edmonton knows the story by now. The Oilers have a roster built around Connor McDavid, one of the best players to ever lace up skates, and they’ve come up short in back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances against the Florida Panthers in 2024 and 2025. The culprit both times? Goaltending.
Last December, GM Stan Bowman tried to fix it by sending Stuart Skinner to Pittsburgh and bringing in Tristan Jarry. Jarry had his own issues in Pittsburgh — he cleared waivers last season, which tells you something — and things didn’t get much better in Edmonton. By the time the playoffs rolled around, the Oilers were so shaky in net that they turned to Connor Ingram for the start of the series. Jarry finished the postseason with a 3.86 goals-against average and took the loss in three of Edmonton’s four defeats. Ingram couldn’t stabilize things either.
So here they are again. Same problem. New coach.
What Babcock Brings and What He Can’t Fix Alone
Babcock’s résumé speaks for itself. He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008, took three different teams to the Final, and coached Team Canada to Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014. He said all the right things in his introductory press conference about adapting to a changed league and changed players. “You have to adjust, you have to get better,” Babcock said. “That’s the process that starts here tomorrow.”
But no amount of system tweaks or hard conversations can stop pucks. Babcock can demand accountability and structure, but if the guy in net can’t make the big save in June, none of it matters. Bowman knows that.
The Trade Targets Edmonton Should Be Watching
A few names have already surfaced as potential fixes. Jordan Binnington in St. Louis is probably the most realistic option. He’s won a Cup, he’s played well for Team Canada alongside McDavid in international tournaments, and the Blues might be ready to pivot. Connor Hellebuyck in Winnipeg is the dream target — he just led Team USA to an Olympic upset over Canada — but getting him to agree to a move to northern Alberta is a long shot. Sam Montembeault in Montreal is another name that’s come up as an intriguing, lower-cost option.
What’s clear is that starting next season with Jarry as the unquestioned No. 1 would be a gamble the Oilers can’t afford. McDavid has two years left on his contract. The window is right now, not later. Bowman’s job isn’t done.
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