“According to several sources, Babcock has spoken directly with owner Daryl Katz. Babcock has met with or spoken to several members of the team’s leadership group. Whatever happened in those meeting(s) was enough to eliminate any potential objection,” Elliotte Friedman reported on Sportsnet.

With McDavid and the rest of the locker room open to welcoming Babcock, the Oilers await any notice from the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA) that could put their plans on hold. If there is no risk of legal trouble, then the Oilers may hire Babcock to lead the group next season. Babcock last coached an NHL game in November 2019, when he was the head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then, his name has been synonymous with controversy.

Babcock’s drama in Columbus

After his stint with the Maple Leafs came to an end in 2019, Babcock took on an ad honorem role in college ice hockey. He returned to the NHL in July 2023, when he signed on to become the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

However, he resigned from the position before making his coaching debut amid allegations of improper behavior. Reports at the time stated that he invaded players’ privacy by going through their phones.

Since then, Babcock hadn’t set foot inside an NHL organization’s facilities. However, as pleased as he admittedly was in retirement, it seems Edmonton may lure him back to the NHL.

Oilers may have convinced Babcock

The reported conversation with Katz is a strong starting point, and the fact that McDavid and the players are on board with the potential hiring may present an opportunity too good to pass up. After all, Babcock may get a chance to coach the best player in the NHL, and who knows how much longer McDavid will remain in the Gateway to the North.

If he signs in Edmonton, Babcock will get the chance to determine whether the Oilers are reaching the end of the road with McDavid or if he’s there to stay. Either way, it appears McDavid is comfortable letting Babcock take the wheel and put his future in the Stanley Cup-winning head coach’s hands.

“Peter Laviolette will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Kings,“ Elliotte Friedman reported through his X account. Laviolette will take over after interim coach DJ Smith, who in turn replaced Jim Hiller midway through the 2025-26 NHL campaign.

With Laviolette off the coaching carousel, Edmonton has been put on notice. Time is of the essence. Although recent buzz suggested the Oilers could run a one-year experiment with McDavid and company if Bruce Cassidy isn’t allowed to interview with them, the team may be steering in a different direction.

Apparently, roads are now leading Edmonton to Babcock, who has been out of the NHL since 2023. However, to go down that road the Oilers may have to evade a minefield.

Babcock could bring trouble

“The Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock,” Darren Dreger of TSN reported on X. “Further investigation may be required.”

The last thing the Oilers need heading into such a high-stakes season is more off-ice trouble. For Connor McDavid, who has two years left under contract, but could very well ask out of Edmonton at any given moment, such a controversial hiring could be the last straw.

In more ways than one, Stan Bowman could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire by hiring Babcock immediately after the polarizing firing of Kris Knoblauch. Bowman is walking on thin ice in the Gateway to the North, and such a hiring could be all she wrote for him—as well as McDavid’s patience with the organization.

What happened with Babcock?

Babcock was thrown into the eye of the storm in 2023, shortly after signing on to become the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Amid allegations that he invaded players’ privacy (reports stated he went through players’ phones and photos), he resigned from the position before he even coached a game in the Discovery City.

He’s been out of the league ever since and recently shut the door on McDavid and the Oilers by admitting he was loving his time away from the NHL. Whether something has changed for him or Edmonton comes up with an offer too good to resist remains to be seen.

A priori, it seems the two sides aren’t seeing eye to eye, but if Bowman and the Oilers’ brass are truly interested, there may be no mountain high enough and no legal trouble too risky to deter them.

That’s why Edmonton must come up with solutions. The Oilers can either wait patiently for the Vegas Golden Knights to allow Cassidy to interview with other teams—whenever that happens, if it happens at all—or steer in a different direction. While an alternative that would raise a different set of concerns, a report suggests hiring Craig MacTavish on a one-year deal to serve as McDavid and the rest of the team’s head coach next season.

“If the Oilers grow weary of waiting to talk to Cassidy and want a one year coach Craig MacTavish might be your guy locally,” Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson stated on his X account.

MacTavish’s coaching history with Oilers

MacTavish has only been an NHL head coach once in his career. That was with the Oilers, of course. Handed the top job for the 2000-01 season, MacTavish led the team to a 32-26-16-8 record and a playoff berth before falling in the opening round.

His team reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs in four of his first five seasons but didn’t win a series until the 2005-06 campaign. Not only did Edmonton finally break through, but it also reached the Stanley Cup Final, where it fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

MacTavish was let go after the 2008-09 season. Since then, he has coached in the AHL and KHL, served as the Oilers’ senior vice president of hockey operations, and worked as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues during the 2022-23 campaign.

Oilers need someone who acts like he’s been here before

Whether the leaked interview request for Cassidy played a role or not, the Oilers have fired Kris Knoblauch, the head coach who led McDavid closer to a Stanley Cup than any of the four other bench bosses he has played under in Edmonton.

With McDavid’s time in the Gateway to the North finite, the Oilers could lean toward the only other head coach who has led them to a Stanley Cup Final in the 21st century. Whether that’s the right call or not, that’s another question. Only time will tell, and time hasn’t been an ally as of late.

MacTavish was around the organization when it selected Connor McDavid with the first overall pick in 2015. Looking back, it’s safe to assume neither MacTavish nor anyone else expected things to be the way they are 11 years later. It’s far from a perfect storm, but it may be just what the Oilers need—that isn’t named Bruce Cassidy and under the Golden Knights’ jurisdiction.

Ahead of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, Bettman held a press conference in which he addressed several of the league’s biggest storylines. It didn’t take long before he was asked about Vegas’ decision to deny interview requests with former head coach Bruce Cassidy. Bettman’s response brought grins across Nevada while wiping them away entirely in Alberta.

“Bettman says Vegas denying Bruce Cassidy permission to interview for another job is ‘completely reasonable’ based on the contract terms reviewed by the league,” as stated by Frank Seravalli on X.

Oilers get no help from NHL

As a result, there is reason to believe there will be no intervention from the NHL. Despite being fired, Cassidy remains under contract in Sin City for one more year, with the former Golden Knights head coach set to make $4.5 million next season.

As Cassidy recently admitted, he can’t cut ties with the organization in Las Vegas unless he’s willing to walk away from his guaranteed money for the 2026-27 season. Meanwhile, the Oilers are virtually out of options.

If they want to pair McDavid and the rest of the team with Cassidy, the only way to do so may be to wait until the summer of 2027, when Cassidy will be free to sign with a new team without the Golden Knights having any say in the matter. However, there are plenty of reasons why waiting is far from an ideal choice for Edmonton.

Why it makes no sense for Oilers

Entering the first season of McDavid’s two-year contract extension with the organization, the clock is ticking for the Oilers. Although McDavid will technically be in a contract year during the 2027-28 campaign, the 2026-27 season could effectively be one as well.

McDavid is giving the team a brief championship window to prove itself. If Edmonton decides to enter a transition year while it waits for Cassidy to become available, it could very well drive its captain out of town.

In that scenario, McDavid could make it clear ahead of the 2027-28 season that he has no intention of re-signing with the Oilers. At that point, Edmonton would likely have no choice but to trade him, with reports suggesting the New York Rangers are among McDavid’s top destinations.

Oilers would never be able to live down McDavid trade

If the rumors are already loud today, the Oilers can only imagine how intense the speculation would become if they chose to waste one year of their two-year window. Time is of the essence. As much as Cassidy could be the missing piece for Edmonton, McDavid should come first in the hierarchy for the organization. If the Oilers play their cards with Cassidy in mind, they risk losing sight of their captain and the best player in the NHL.

Trading Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings remains a decision many in Edmonton still disapprove of. Even then, however, “The Great One” had already hoisted four Stanley Cups in the Gateway to the North.

If Stan Bowman loses McDavid to free agency—or is forced to trade him before bringing even a single Stanley Cup back to Alberta—he would achieve the impossible. Bowman would make Glen Sather’s controversial decision on Aug. 9, 1988, look like child’s play.

If that is the case, the Broadway Blueshirts may be his preferred destination, but another Original Six franchise may have a say in the matter. In the event that McDavid asks out of the Gateway to the North, there are reportedly two organizations expected to lead the sweepstakes: the New York Rangers and Montreal Canadiens.

“Montreal and New York (Rangers) would therefore be two of the few places [McDavid] would consider,” Marc-Olivier Beaudoin of BPM Sports reported on his X account. “In the event of a situation where he wanted to leave Edmonton, the CH would be on his very short list of a few teams where he would agree to be traded. Or to sign if he reaches full autonomy on July 1, 2028.“

NY Rangers lack assets

On paper, there may be no offer good enough for the Oilers to part with the best player in the NHL. However, in reality, Edmonton may not have much of a choice.

That is why a team like the Rangers could be in the mix despite having a prospect pool that remains a work in progress and draft assets that do not match those of several other organizations around the league. At the end of the day, everything is balanced out by a key factor: urgency.

That same factor led the Toronto Maple Leafs to trade Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights and, in return, acquire only Nicolas Roy. In any other situation, such an offer would not even be considered. When the clock is ticking and unrestricted free agency is knocking on the door, that is when anything goes.

Timing is NY Rangers’ ally

For a team like the Rangers, that urgency may well put them in the lead. If McDavid wants to go there, he will most likely get his wish fulfilled one way or another. McDavid could ask to be traded or wait it out and sign in the Big Apple—or the City of Saints—as a UFA.

The Rangers would have to wait until 2028 for the latter outcome. That may be a good thing, though, as they could further improve their asset pool in the meantime. Plus, the Blueshirts have time to spare—and so do the Habs, albeit to a different extent. The Oilers do not. They are in a race against the clock, and nothing has gone their way as of late.

McDavid’s contract situations raises concerns for Oilers

The Oilers are set to enter the first season of McDavid’s two-year, $25 million contract. Once it expires, he will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) unless Edmonton convinces him to stay.

At the moment, having lost in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, fired its head coach, and been blocked from reaching top target Bruce Cassidy, it appears either that McDavid is deeply committed to the city and the club or that he genuinely believes a Stanley Cup is imminent in Edmonton—some might say he’s delusional if it’s the latter.

McDavid’s deal includes a full no-movement clause (NMC). That could come back to bite the Oilers. It means McDavid holds all the cards when it comes to his future. If he asks out, he will only waive his clause to join a team of his choosing.

Rangers and Canadiens could face dream scenario

If the Habs and Rangers are indeed his top priorities, they would have little reason to overpay—or even pay full value—for the best player in the NHL. If Edmonton refuses to accept New York’s and Montreal’s lowball offers, that is fine with them. They could simply wait for his contract to expire and pursue him in free agency.

For the Oilers, that is the worst-case scenario in a situation that is already a nightmare made flesh for the organization. With every passing second that Edmonton’s championship window closes, the door opens on a trade request from McDavid. In that event, the Oilers would be left with no choice but to fulfill their captain’s demands.

If not, they risk losing him to free agency, and Stan Bowman knows that could come at a steep cost to both his job security and his reputation around the league. After all, which team would give the man who lost the most talented player in the league to free agency another shot? Still, the NHL—more often than not—operates in mysterious ways.

McDavid wants to win in Edmonton

McDavid made that crystal clear ahead of the 2025-26 NHL season. When he addressed the media after re-signing on a team-friendly, two-year deal, the Oilers’ captain expressed that his ultimate goal is always to win the Stanley Cup—and to do so in Northern Alberta.

However, his commitment to the city can only go so far. He will turn 30 midway through next season. Indeed, McDavid wants to win in Edmonton, but his desire to win comes first. If the recent trend continues and the Oilers keep steering away from the decisions that would make them true contenders, McDavid could finally raise his hand, ask out, and shut the door on his future in the Gateway to the North.

Needless to say, the organization could enter a downward spiral, and heads may roll. There is only one way out of this mess for the Oilers: winning.

The Golden Knights are off to the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. While Mitch Marner is cherishing every bit of his success in Vegas, there is someone who is not enjoying the postseason journey, and it is Cassidy, who is being prevented from joining other NHL teams by his former club. Cassidy remained patient, but his tolerance is wearing thin.

“It’s upsetting, to be honest,” Cassidy said about Vegas not giving teams permission to interview him, via Spittin’ Chiclets. “Once you’re fired, your contract is basically terminated. There was two teams that asked it’s public knowledge now, and I would like to talk to them. I want to go to work. I’m a hockey coach.”

Cassidy can’t resign

With one year left in his contract with the Golden Knights, Cassidy is set to earn $4.5 million during the 2026-27 NHL season. Much is being speculated about his deal and whether signing with a different team would still leave Vegas footing the bill. Others argue why Cassidy simply doesn’t resign to his contract. The answer is simple: he’d be waving almost $5 million goodbye in doing so.

“You have non-compete clauses. So, I can’t resign today and go work for someone tomorrow. I can’t work until Vegas gives me permission and this contract is up, which is at the end of next season. If I resign all I do is not get paid. I’ve got kids to take care of,” Cassidy added.

Vegas goes after Edmonton

Amid the loud buzz around the NHL, Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon has instead shifted the spotlight onto the Oilers. As reported by TSN’s OverDrive, McCrimmon had this to say about the denied interview request: “It’s only news because Edmonton leaked it.”

It is hard to see why the Oilers would leak such a report considering they had not formally fired Kris Knoblauch when the news broke, and the drama played a decisive role in parting ways with him. If it is true and Edmonton indeed leaked the denied interview request, it may have been a means to force Vegas’ hand. Still, it looks unlikely—or it was simply very foolish on the Oilers’ part.

There is also a scenario in which Vegas—or another interested party—was behind it, and perhaps the team in Sin City is now lying—or hiding the truth. After all, the house always wins, and it is clear who runs the table in the Entertainment Capital of the World. The Golden Knights may have stacked the deck, whereas the Oilers and Cassidy might be rolling snake eyes.

Tough pill to swallow for Edmonton

Thus, all the reports and Cassidy’s comments do is paint a tough picture for the Oilers. Entering the last somewhat calm season with McDavid—as he will be a pending UFA throughout the 2027-28 campaign—Edmonton needs certainty.

It is clear Cassidy is the top target in the Gateway to the North, but it simply looks like it will not happen. At least not this offseason, not as long as the Golden Knights have the final say.

Oilers are left with few options

So what choices are the Oilers left with? They could sign a coach for a transition year until Cassidy becomes available next offseason, but that is far from sound business for them. For starters, it sends the wrong message to both the fans and McDavid, who are equally desperate to win a Stanley Cup.

On the other hand, there is no guarantee Cassidy will still be available by the time Edmonton knocks on his door next offseason. And lastly, what kind of NHL head coach would agree to sign a temporary contract just to keep a seat warm for his replacement? Obviously, not the kind of bench boss capable of guiding the Oilers back to Stanley Cup glory.

Vegas has Edmonton virtually dead to rights, Cassidy locked in chains at the top of its castle, and the NHL unwilling to move an inch or even act as if it will intervene. The cherry on top? All this is happening with the organization now favored to win the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights might be setting a bad precedent, and there may be nothing the league can do to stop them.

“Peter Laviolette is on [the Oilers’] radar. Gerard Gallant probably fits the bill,” insider Chris Johnston said on the Chris Johnston Show. Laviolette continues to be a name to watch in the coaching carousel. According to reports, the former Rangers head coach could make his NHL return with the Oilers.

As for Gallant, his candidacy for Edmonton’s vacant gig is more surprising considering he has been away from the league since he stepped down from his job in the Big Apple after the 2022-23 NHL campaign.

Oilers are the new Rangers

It appears having strong regular seasons with the Blueshirts is something that stands out to the front office in the Gateway to the North. Whether that’s wise on Edmonton’s part or not, that’s a question for another day.

Gallant coached the Rangers to back-to-back 100-point seasons in his first two years in New York City—becoming the first coach in franchise history to achieve such a milestone. As for Laviolette, he led New York to the most wins in franchise history with 55 victories during the 2023-24 NHL season.

They both had something in common, however: they could not add another trophy to the Rangers’ Stanley Cup collection. Now, they share another trait in that they are contenders for the Oilers’ vacancy.

Question marks around Gallant

While he proved his value throughout his NHL coaching career, there are several questions around Gallant that need answering, and they aren’t exclusively hockey-related. Back in January, Gallant relinquished his position as head coach for the Shanghai Dragons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).

According to reports at the time by Pierre LeBrun and TSN, Gallant prioritized his health and chose to focus on the illness he is battling. Gallant returned from Asia’s Magic City to be back home on Prince Edward Island.

Whether he will be interested in taking a demanding 24/7 job on the opposite coast of the Great White North—as well as whether the Edmonton Oilers are serious about hiring him—remains to be seen.

“I’d put Craig Berube below Peter Laviolette right now,” insider Chris Johnston said during an appearance on The Nielson Show about the Oilers‘ search for Kris Knoblauch’s replacement.

Although his last memory behind an NHL bench is not too exciting, Laviolette remains an intriguing name. McDavid and the Oilers reportedly have no way of hiring Bruce Cassidy away from the Vegas Golden Knights, which virtually leaves them searching for the next best coach available. Laviolette may very well be it.

Laviolette’s tenure with NY Rangers

Indeed, his New York Rangers missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs during the 2024-25 NHL campaign with a 39-36-7 record, one year removed from their Presidents’ Trophy win in 2023-24. Still, Laviolette led New York to its third Presidents’ Trophy and the most wins in a season in franchise history.

In more ways than one, it feels like McDavid and the Oilers could do much worse than hiring Laviolette as their head coach going forward. Especially if Vegas is serious about its blockade against Edmonton. The organization in Oil Country may wait for things to develop around Cassidy, but that could mean risking Laviolette signing somewhere else.

Laviolette wants to coach again

As the former Rangers head coach admitted weeks ago, he enjoyed his one-year vacation from the league—his first season in 25 years without an NHL job—which the Blueshirts had to pay for since he was still under contract. But he is ready to get back in the game.

The Oilers’ head coaching gig may be the most appealing vacancy on the continent. If Edmonton indeed extends him a formal offer, it may not take long for Laviolette to pounce on the opportunity.

The Oilers are down to their last bullets in the chamber, but it feels as if their gunpowder is completely drenched. The NHL believes the Golden Knights are within their rights to hold onto Cassidy. Meanwhile, Cassidy cannot—or simply will not—terminate his contract, which guarantees him $4.5 million in 2026-27.

“Ultimately it just feels like the Golden Knights are not going to hand Bruce Cassidy over for next season to Edmonton, that’s just the way it feels,” Chris Johnston said on The Nielson Show.

Oilers are in trouble

All things considered, it feels like the Oilers have no way of convincing the Knights. Edmonton dug itself into a deep hole with the firing of Kris Knoblauch. Vegas will not just toss its divisional rival a lifeline by serving Cassidy on a silver platter.

For the time being, the Golden Knights can—rightfully—stay busy in their chase for the Stanley Cup. Fully focused on capturing the franchise’s second championship, Vegas has little time to concern itself with other matters and will not spend even a second worrying about another organization’s trouble behind the bench.

Decisions on UFAs

The Oilers were buyers in this year’s NHL trade deadline yet had nothing to show for after their heartbreaking first-round exit. Now, it’s time for them to make decisions on players whose contracts are up on July 1st. Namely, on Adam Henrique, as well as rentals Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy. According to a report, Edmonton has already reached a conclusion.

“I imagine there will be conversations with Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson, I don’t think Adam Henrique is back,” David Pagnotta stated during an appearance on Oilers Nation Everyday.

Henrique is coming off a rough season in Oil Country. The veteran center registered just 15 points (three goals, 12 assists) in 65 games and made a lone appearance with no points in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. As for Dickinson and Murphy, they were quite pleasant additions to the lineup, and Edmonton is seemingly excited about what they can do in a full season alongside McDavid and company.

Oilers face trouble with McDavid

Convincing McDavid to stay even longer in the Gateway to the North is another hot topic, but for the time being, Edmonton has other pending tasks. When it comes to the future of their franchise player, the Oilers will cross that bridge when they come to it.

The Vegas Golden Knights may be completely blocking McDavid’s Oilers from reaching Cassidy, but it may not be able to last much longer. Vegas’ main argument for not granting teams permission is based on the fact it is still alive in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that allowing its former head coach to interview with other teams could come back to bite the Golden Knights during their postseason run.

Thus, the math is simple regarding when Cassidy should be made available for interview requests. Or at least, the Knights will have to come up with better excuses.

“The moment that Vegas is eliminated from the playoffs or wins the Stanley Cup, you will hear that Bruce Cassidy has an opportunity to interview,” John Shannon said on Donnie and Dhali: The Team. “It’s going to be by the middle of June that we all hear Cassidy is available to talk to other teams.”

NHL won’t step in

If the NHL wanted to turn a blind eye to the whole situation, the Coaches’ Association coming to the rescue of McDavid and the Oilers may have put the league on notice. Still, it seems like there is nothing the commissioner can do because, in its own words, the Golden Knights have done nothing wrong so far. It is not exactly sportsmanlike, but it is all within the rulebook.

“From NHL perspective, the league feels the Vegas response to date is consistent with the team’s existing contractual rights, as well as with established league policy. So, it remains very much up to the Golden Knights if and when teams can talk to Cassidy while he’s under contract,” as reported by TSN insider Pierre LeBrun.

With the league taking such a passive stance, the Oilers have an even better understanding of where they stand in their pursuit of Cassidy. Edmonton will either remain patient or tear its hair out over the current situation.

Knoblauch’s future

Although the Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch, they will have to foot the bill on his contract. Knoblauch had signed a three-year extension before the Cassidy drama cost him his job. As he was relieved of his duties without cause, Edmonton will have to pay him for the next three years. According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Knoblauch will go on a sabbatical before taking another coaching job in the league.

“We can likely cross Kris Knoblauch’s name off of any coaching candidates list out there for now,” Spector wrote on his X account. Knoblauch has three years left on his contract with the Oilers, running through 2028-29.

For the time being, thus, Knoblauch may not entertain any interviews, and Edmonton will not be put in a situation where it must decide who can and cannot speak with him. Still anything can happen. Perhaps the Oilers end up being the pot calling the kettle black.

Unfortunately for the Oilers, the interest doesn’t seem to be reciprocal. According to a report from an NHL insider, Babcock has ruled out the rumors with a straightforward statement. Edmonton will have to look elsewhere for its 10th head coach in the last 15 years—and McDavid‘s sixth since being selected with the first overall pick in 2015.

“I’m retired. Loving it,” Mike Babcock told Darren Dreger, as TSN‘s insider’s reported.

Babcock’s numbers

Babcock has been away from the NHL since his brief, yet highly controversial tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Stanley Cup-winning coach—who won in 2008 with the Detroit Red Wings—resigned from his position in Columbus just months after signing due to an investigation into improper behavior.

So far in his career, Babcock has coached in 1,301 games. The 63-year-old bench-boss boasts a 700-418-164-19 (W-L-OT-T) record. His 700 wins put him on 12th for most by a head coach in NHL history.

If he were to come out of retirement, Babcock would become the fifth active coach with the most victories, only trailing Joel Quenneville, Paul Maurice, Lindy Ruff, and John Tortorella.

Edmonton still searching for head coach

Based on his reported answer to Dreger, it does not look as if he will come out of retirement to coach McDavid and the rest of the title-hungry team in Edmonton. For the franchise in the Gateway to the North, its search for a replacement for Kris Knoblauch is only just beginning, and it will not get away with cutting any corners.