[Report] Oiler Wants Out If Babcock Hired: Will Other Players Bail?

It looks as though, barring some kind of complication with the NHLPA or the league, Mike Babcock will be the next head coach of the Edmonton Oilers. There is a chance this doesn’t get done if the league has an issue or if the blowback is so extreme the Oilers change their mind, but as it stands, Babcock is their guy.

That raises an interesting question about the domino effect of this decision.

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Reports are that the leadership group is on board. While he has not made a public comment, Zach Hyman is among those believed to support the decision. Steve Simmons writes, “How much does Zach Hyman think of Mike Babcock? He owes him his career. His brother just hired Babcock’s son to coach their junior team. It’s no coincidence the Oilers are considering Babcock in Edmonton. Zach Hyman is one of the best people in hockey, period.” Insiders like Pierre LeBrun have also reported that this decision isn’t made without talking to Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the leadership group, all of whom are said to be on board and in support.

Reports are that Babcock has spoken with these players, and they like what was said. That’s a main reason for the team pursuing this.

But, does that speak for everyone?

Who Might Be Opposed To The Babcock Hire?

There may be players on the roster who aren’t sold. There may also be players who would have considered Edmonton in free agency or via trade who might not look their way if the Oilers move forward with this.

“I do think it’s a really fair question. That maybe there are some other people who only know Babcock by what they’ve read, or they haven’t met with him face-to-face yet, as some of the Oilers players did, might not want to go there. So that’s a risk the Oilers take. I think it would be not smart to discount that, absolutely,” said Elliotte Friedman.

The 2 Mutts Podcast — known for getting the odd story right, but also making up reports and not having credible sources — wrote, “We chatted with one Edmonton Oilers player tonight on the possibility of hiring Mike Babcock and this player said that, “I can’t support the hiring of Mike and if he does become our Head Coach I will sit down with my agent to discuss my options going forward.” While anything that account posts should be taken with a grain of salt, it does bring to light the theory that some players might want out. Those players may not be part of the leadership group and may not be comfortable with this.

The reality is, there will be blowback to this. The Oilers know that. What it sounds like they’ve decided is that they don’t care. For players who don’t want to stay and others who won’t join the team because Babcock might be the next coach, ‘Do what you gotta do, but the rest of us are here to win. We think he’ll help us.’ For this particular group of Oilers, being comfortable no longer works.

This group, led by McDavid and others, is so desperate to win that they’re willing to make things uncomfortable and ignore the optics to get a guy who will push them. They want to be led, and they want to be dragged over the finish line. For all the negatives about Babcock that are out there, the one reality is that he will push. For the 2026-27 Oilers, anyone not comfortable with that is welcome to leave or avoid this team.

Hiring Babcock might be a monumental mistake. Then again, it could be what this particular group needs, and the feeling is that the locker room and culture are strong enough to withstand any B.S. that Babcock might try. That’s the key. Be coached. Be pushed. Get uncomfortable. Just don’t let things go too far. And, as much as Babcock has gravitas, so does McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, and guys like Mattias Ekholm and others who will happily draw a line and say, ‘You ain’t pulling that garbage on our watch.’

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