Oilers make final decision on Mike Babcock as investigation gets underway

David Pagnotta reported on Sabres Live that the understanding around the league is Edmonton has been briefed on the controversies surrounding Babcock and still wants to move forward with the hire.

That framing suggests a front office that weighed the risks and accepted them. But Frank Seravalli reported Wednesday that the NHLPA holds additional claims from its own player investigation that were never made public in 2023.

Seravalli added that the phone photo incident in Columbus was not actually what ended Babcock's tenure.

A separate, still-unknown allegation is what forced his resignation before he coached a single regular-season game with the Blue Jackets.

When Babcock resigned from Columbus in September 2023, the NHL had no reason to complete a formal investigation.

His departure closed the file before the union finished its work.

That file is now reopening. The NHLPA has asked the NHL to investigate before any hiring proceeds, according to multiple reports from Darren Dreger and Seravalli.

Edmonton consulted its core players, including Connor McDavid, and received what Elliotte Friedman described as input rather than outright approval.

Bob Stauffer called the hire inevitable on Oilers Now.

McDavid signed a two-year, $12.5 million AAV extension that expires after 2027-28. Stan Bowman has a narrow window to prove this franchise is worth a long-term commitment from the best player in hockey.

If unreported NHLPA claims surface something Edmonton was never actually briefed on, the front office will have publicly committed to a coach while getting blindsided in real time.

Friedman noted he cannot see the Oilers moving forward if they know what is coming.

The risk is not that Edmonton hired a controversial coach. The risk is that they told the league they understood the full picture when they may not have.

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