Mike Babcock going to Edmonton just made the Oilers time to watch this upcoming season

It almost feels like there’s been some good news for the NHL in the offseason, with blockbuster trades, players looking to break out of their current situation, and a wild coaching carousel.

The biggest domino falling 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 return behind the bench after his last coaching game with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2019.

Babcock was hired to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, but resigned before the season ended amid allegations that he asked players to show him personal photos on their phones.

NHL FINISHES INVESTIGATION INTO MIKE BABCOCK’S TIME WITH BLUE JACKETS, WILL NOT PREVENT HIM FROM WORKING.

The NHL conducted an investigation and decided that Babcock should still be allowed to coach, and here we are.

So, buckle up, kids. It’s going to be a late night for us East Coasters this season because the Oilers will be a team to watch.

Not because I think that suddenly they became cup strikers – I don’t remember – I don’t remember another situation where it was a powder container that was filled inside a stock that had been ground with sticks of dynamite.

Sure, it could work, but bringing in a breakout coach like Babcock is a real Hail Mary. He doesn’t exactly have the reputation of being a “players coach,” and while there are some good times at that, it takes the right kind of team to work.

Mike Babcock and the Edmonton Oilers will be under a lot of pressure to perform well this season. ((Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images))

Are the Oilers such a team? I don’t think so, but we’ll see.

Babcock should hit the ground running and at least right the Oilers ship; if not, they may need to look to sign star and captain Connor McDavid, who begins his two-year “show-me” extension this summer.

If the Oilers want a draft pick or players like Ottawa recently dealt Brady Tkachuk, they need to deal with him sooner rather than later. Of course, the idea is not to have to deal with the best player in the world by making him want to stick with the team.

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He will only do that if there is a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

After a disappointing 2025-26 campaign the Oilers core of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will want to see results. (Bob Fried/USA TODAY Sports)

So, with a generational player and the future of the franchise in the balance, the Oilers are throwing the keys to the most controversial coach of all time.

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How could you tune in to see how this works? Either it will work or it will go away completely.

I don’t know about you, but I’m going to start catching up on sleep now.