A quick blog on Mike Babcock and the Oilers:
It’s real. They are considering it. According to several sources, Babcock has spoken directly with owner Daryl Katz.
According to those same sources, Babcock has met with or spoken to several members of the team’s leadership group. Whatever happened in those meeting(s) was enough to get the players on-board with the idea.
It fits with what he’s been whispered about the Oilers since their first-round elimination to Anaheim: that even their core agrees they need a firmer hand on the rudder.
However, this is a unique situation.
In 2023, Babcock resigned as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets before the season began after being accused of invading players’ privacy by looking at their phones. For that reason, it is believed the NHLPA objected to the possibility of the hire once information became available to them.
The hire has also not been formalized with the NHL, which would also have to sign off. And, at this point, that has not occurred.
So we are in a bit of a holding pattern. The interest is real, but hurdles remain.