It almost feels like there has been more juicy NHL news over the offseason than there was over the actual season, with blockbuster trades, players wanting out of their current situation, and a wild coaching carousel.
The biggest domino to fall when it comes to coaches is now officially official, with word that the next coach of the Edmonton Oilers is none other than Mike Babcock.
The Stanley Cup - and gold medal-winning coach will make his behind-the-bench return after last coaching a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2019.
Babcock was hired to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, but resigned before the season started amid allegations that he had asked players to show him personal photos on their phones.
The NHL conducted an investigation and determined that Babcock should still be allowed to coach, and here we are.
So, buckle up, kids. There are going to be a lot of late nights for those of us on the East Coast this season because the Oilers are going to be a team to watch.
Not because I think they're suddenly Cup contenders — I don't — I just can't remember another situation that was this much of a powder keg packed inside of a pressure cooker with sticks of dynamite wrapped around it.
Sure, it could work, but bringing in a polarizing coach like Babcock is a real Hail Mary. He doesn't exactly have a reputation as a "players' coach," and while there are sometimes pros to that, it requires the right kind of team to work.
Are the Oilers that kind of team? I don't really think so, but we'll see.
Babcock has to hit the ground running and at least get the Oilers' ship pointed in the right direction; otherwise, they might need to look to shop superstar and captain Connor McDavid, who starts his two-year "show-me" extension this summer.
If the Oilers want a haul of picks or players like Ottawa just did for Brady Tkachuk, they need to deal him sooner rather than later. Of course, the idea is to not have to deal the best player on the planet by making him want to stick with the team.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON'T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
He'll only do that if there's a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup.
So, with a generational player and the future of the franchise in the balance, the Oilers throw the keys to arguably the most controversial coach ever.
How could you not tune in to see how this works out? It's either going to work or go completely sideways.
I don't know about you, but I'm going to start stockpiling sleep now.
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