On Tuesday, the Edmonton Oilers finally got their man to lead the team. They hired controversial head coach Mike Babcock to lead players like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Certainly, that seems like a normal hire, right? After all, he does have a Stanley Cup to his name.
Well...
If you don't remember the massive controversy surrounding Babcock, it goes something like this. In 2023, the Columbus Blue Jackets had him as their head coach. He asked the players for their phones so he could mirror the photos on a screen in his office. There was also the time he asked Mitch Marner to rank his teammates by work ethic.
Yikes.
Mind you, he did that with the training staff, too. There are other bits of "legend", such as how Mike Modano didn't play his 1,500th NHL game because of him. Does this guy kick puppies for a living?
But the Oilers' latest move is a massive win for the Golden Knights in more ways than one. Obviously, fans will point at Bruce Cassidy as being safe from the Oilers. But it goes beyond keeping a great head coach from your divisional rival. Here's how Tuesday's news is a major win for the Golden Knights.
How the Vegas Golden Knights won Tuesday with the Edmonton Oilers' latest head coaching hire of Mike Babcock
Kelly McCrimmon ultimately won the waiting game with Bruce Cassidy, keeping him from both the Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. Obviously, the Kings' hire of Peter Laviolette will be less toxic than Babcock. But it goes beyond keeping Cassidy safe from your adversaries.
It's also about keeping the team's culture intact. Think about this for a second. McDavid is currently on a two-year, "wait-and-see" deal that will determine what he does in the future. If he doesn't like what he sees, then he's packing his stuff for Toronto (or another desirable location).
Babcock coming on board for Edmonton brings all sorts of baggage that will ultimately be a distraction. People will talk about his past and bring up the Blue Jackets stuff. They'll also point to Stan Bowman, who's no stranger to controversy himself, as a lightning rod. Considering that there's immense pressure to win a Stanley Cup with the current Oilers core, that's not great news for Edmonton in the long run. Remember: not everyone can be John Tortorella.
Compare that to the Golden Knights, who took an in-house approach to their head coaching situation. The Golden Knights brought Ryan Craig on board, adding some familiarity to the room. We're talking about being the assistant head coach for the team's first six seasons, winning a Stanley Cup and making another Stanley Cup Final in the process.
Is Craig the perfect hire? Not exactly. The Golden Knights pride themselves on being a veteran team that desperately needs a head coach who can handle said veterans. Luckily, Craig's past assistant coaching should help him in this scenario. It also helps that Craig hasn't taken his player's phones or bugged Mitch Marner about who he thought was the hardest-working player on the ice.
Add us as a preferred source on Google