Oilers Hiring Mike Babcock? Why Connor McDavid Endorses It

You know what they say about desperate times. Hiring Mike Babcock, which is expected imminently, is the perfect embodiment of desperate measures. 

Where Connor McDavid is concerned, the Edmonton Oilers are in last-chance saloon territory. 

Which is precisely why No. 97 has given his emphatic stamp of approval regarding bringing the much-maligned Babcock aboard to try and steady the Oilers’ wayward ship. 

Edmonton Oilers Mike Babcock Hire: Why McDavid Approves

Hockey is in no way, shape, or form like a game of horseshoes. Getting close counts for nothing. 

And despite advancing to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals and being among the Stanley Cup odds favourites at the BetMGM online sportsbook in recent seasons, McDavid must feel a world apart from securing an elusive championship. 

Everything he and the organization tried has failed, including the man behind the bench pulling the strings. 

Since breaking into the league before the 2015-16 season, McDavid has played under five head coaches, including Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock, Dave Tippett, Jay Woodcroft, and Kris Knoblauch. 

For various reasons, each coach failed to lead the Oilers to the promised land. Knoblauch came closest, leading them to consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances. 

One of the biggest knocks on Knoblauch was his unwillingness to hold players accountable. He didn’t demand more from his best players and wasn’t able, at least last season, to find a defensive answer. 

A lot of that has to do with the Oilers’ shambolic goaltending situation, but everyone knows the head coach is the first to pay the price when a team falls short of expectations. 

Why Babcock Works As McDavid’s Last Roll of the Dice 

Babcock is the opposite of all five coaches that preceded him during McDavid’s time with the Oilers. 

He’s hot-headed, easily fired up, visceral, and holds everyone accountable for their actions, including the stars. Mitch Marner is an apt, if not unsavoury, example. 

Babcock is also renowned for getting the most out of players from the outset and in the short term. 

That works for McDavid, who is only focused on the short term, knowing his time in Edmonton will likely come to an end if he doesn’t win the Stanley Cup in the forthcoming season. 

Hiring Babcock represents a nothing-to-lose throw of the dice. 

The decision to bring the uncompromising, ostracized Babcock aboard is also a byproduct of the Oilers playing a soft, la-di-da style of hockey in 2025-26 that isn’t conducive to championship hockey.

It will also allow McDavid to concentrate wholly on playing hockey, leaving all of the coaching responsibilities to someone who won’t have it any other way. 

While ruling with an iron fist is a largely extinct coaching style from a bygone era, Babcock represents its final stand. 

He’ll understand acutely how lucky he is to get another opportunity after an extensive list of transgressions, the most recent of which prevented him from coaching a single game with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Surely, Babcock has learned some valuable lessons since invading players’ privacy in Columbus. And, maybe, just maybe, he will be a breath of fresh air, like John Tortorella in Vegas. 

Either way, McDavid has every right to take this calculated risk. Nothing else has worked, so why not? 

McDavid won’t care about the negative perception accompanying this decision if it leads to his first Stanley Cup. 

And if it doesn’t and the decision backfires? 

With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2028 season, McDavid won’t stay in Edmonton long enough to deal with what would be a messy clean-up.