April 21, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: CONNOR MCDAVID of the NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA s Edmonton Oilers skates during warmups before a game against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on April 21, 2025 Los Angeles USA - ZUMAc239 20250421_zsp_c239_016 Copyright: xAlexxCavex
April 21, 2025, Los Angeles, California, USA: CONNOR MCDAVID of the NHL, Eishockey Herren, USA s Edmonton Oilers skates during warmups before a game against the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Quarter Finals at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California on April 21, 2025 Los Angeles USA - ZUMAc239 20250421_zsp_c239_016 Copyright: xAlexxCavex
After being eliminated from the Stanley Cup race, the Edmonton Oilers hired Mike Babcock as their new head coach on June 23. But days before the official appointment, Babcock landed a reality check for Connor McDavid and his team during a meeting with the top leadership core.
On the July 6 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman shared the details.
“So we talked about what happened in that meeting, and they basically admitted that Babcock challenged them and said, ‘You guys are as much the problem,’” said the analyst.
In Friedman's view, the approach highlighted how the Oilers responded to their first-round playoff exit.
Jul 1, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets introduce Mike Babcock as their new head coach during a press conference at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY NETWORK
Jul 1, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets introduce Mike Babcock as their new head coach during a press conference at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Robertson-USA TODAY NETWORK
“I thought reading McDavid’s quotes to Mark Spector, this team was really off the rails at the end of last year,” the analyst added in the 32 Thoughts podcast.
The Oilers' playoff run ended with a 5-2 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks in Game 6 of the Western Conference First Round. After winning Game 1, Edmonton lost the next three games to an Anaheim team playing in its first postseason series since 2018.
“We’ve been searching for consistency all year and obviously we didn’t find it here in the playoffs,” McDavid admitted to the struggles. “It’s tough. We were an average team all year; an average team with high expectations, you’re going to be disappointed. We just never found it.”
The Oilers had defensive issues, turned the puck over frequently, and struggled on the penalty kill against Anaheim.
Babcock’s reality check came since the Oilers made it to the playoffs after a mediocre regular season, hoping to leave their mark in the playoffs. But that did not happen.
However, with Babcock now in the coaching seat, Friedman believes that things are likely to shift.
Expectations are high for Mike Babcock
Kris Knoblauch was fired by the Oilers on May 14, 2026. They counted on Babcock, who stepped up with 700 wins, ranking 12th in NHL history, according to NHL.com.
Babcock took over as Toronto Maple Leafs coach ahead of the 2015-16 season. He led the team to three playoff appearances but did not win a postseason series before being fired on Nov. 20, 2019, following a 9-10-4 start in 23 games.
To Friedman, Babcock is the right coach for Edmonton.
“I think it’s going to be a really fascinating dynamic, because if they want to be challenged, they’ve got a guy who’s not gonna be afraid to challenge them,” he said in the same podcast.
When it comes to talent, Edmonton still boasts one of hockey’s deepest collections of elite talent, featuring McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Yet, they could not lift the Stanley Cup after 1990.
If Babcock can bring greater accountability, structure, and consistency to the team, the Oilers may break the drought before Connor McDavid's current contract expires at the end of the 2027-28 NHL season.
What do you think of Mike Babcock’s hire as the head coach? Let us know in the comments.
Read more at NHL Fan Central.
Written by
Soheli Tarafdar
Edited by
Soheli Tarafdar