Mike Babcock Returns Behind Oilers Bench

Mike Babcock Oilers coach is the headline nobody saw coming. The NHL cleared him recently, and shortly after, the Edmonton Oilers hired him to replace their previous coach. That's it. That's the news. But the minute you scratch the surface, this thing gets complicated in a hurry.

The Oilers are in a win-now window that has an expiration date. Connor McDavid's contract runs for a few more years, and he hits unrestricted free agency at that time. Edmonton has lost back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, both to the Florida Panthers. This is not a team in rebuild mode.

This is a team staring at a window that is quietly, stubbornly closing.

Babcock brings a pedigree that speaks for itself.

He ranks among the top coaches in NHL history with a significant number of wins across a lengthy coaching career with Anaheim, Detroit, and Toronto. He won the Stanley Cup with Detroit. He took Anaheim to the Cup Final as a rookie head coach, losing to New Jersey in a hard-fought series. He lost another Final to Pittsburgh in a similar fashion. The man has been to the mountain top and fallen off it. That kind of scar tissue either breaks you or sharpens you.

Here's the thing: Babcock hasn't coached an NHL game since he resigned from Columbus.

He was hired that summer and was gone shortly after following reports that he asked Blue Jackets players to share personal photos on their phones. Columbus president John Davidson and GM Jarmo Kekalainen publicly called signing him a mistake. The NHLPA investigated. Babcock stepped down before the league even finished its review.

The NHL's recent statement said there is "no current basis to restrict his employment in the League," even in a light least favorable to Babcock. That language matters. The league didn't say he was innocent. It said he was employable. In the court of public opinion, those are not the same thing.

D.J. Smith joins as associate coach, which is a fascinating wrinkle. He spent time under Babcock in Toronto. He's spent the last two seasons coaching another team. A reunion in Edmonton means Babcock isn't walking into a room of strangers.

That might matter more than anyone is willing to say out loud.

Why did the Oilers hire Babcock?

This is the question every Oilers fan is screaming into the void right now. Their previous coach was let go after a few seasons, two Cup Final appearances, and a first-round exit. On paper, that's a fine regular season. In the context of back-to-back Finals losses, it's not enough. Ownership reached for someone who has done this before. Not just appeared in the Finals, but won the whole thing. Babcock has a history of success in the league.

There is no substitute for that kind of gravitas when a room full of professional athletes is wondering if they can get it done.

What does Babcock bring to Edmonton?

A demanding voice that players either love or resent.

There doesn't seem to be a middle ground. His teams have historically been well-structured, disciplined, and brutally difficult to play against in the playoffs. The Red Wings under Babcock played a responsible two-way game that frustrated opponents to no end. Concern: that the game has evolved since he last coached, and his methods, which some former players described as punitive, might not land the same way now. McDavid is not a kid anymore. He's not going to tolerate being talked at like a rookie.

What happened in Columbus?

Babcock was hired that summer. He resigned shortly after. In between, reports surfaced that he asked players to send him personal photos from their phones. A request that, depending on the specifics, ranges from tone-deaf to a clear violation of personal boundaries. The Blue Jackets organization admitted it was a mistake to hire him after he was gone. The NHLPA investigated before his resignation. The NHL cleared him nearly three years later. The whole episode left a stain. And whether you think it should or shouldn't follow him is irrelevant — it's there. Edmonton is choosing to overlook it.

That's a bet the organization is making with a championship window that includes the best player in the world.

What to watch this season

Babcock's first press conference as Oilers bench boss.

How does McDavid look at training camp? Is the room buying in, or is there quiet friction? The Oilers play the Pacific Division. The road to the Cup goes through Colorado and Vegas again. But before any of that. Before the Xs and Os, before the power play tweaks, before the third-period adjustments. The question is simpler. Can Babcock coach? And will anyone let him?

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Sources: - NHL.com: Mike Babcock hired as Edmonton Oilers coach - Wikipedia: Mike Babcock - Wikipedia: D.J. Smith) - Wikipedia: Kris Knoblauch