Oilers coaching search: what's next after Babcock saga

The Edmonton Oilers' coaching situation remains unsettled as the team waits for clarity on Mike Babcock's status and explores other options.

With the Vegas Golden Knights finished in the playoffs, Bruce Cassidy is expected to become available for interviews. The question now is whether Edmonton will interview him and potentially replace Babcock before his NHL investigation concludes.

Last week, the Oilers' ownership, management, and players publicly backed Babcock. But conflicting reports about the investigation into his conduct in Columbus in 2023 have created uncertainty. Some reports suggest he will be cleared, while others hint there is more to the story than the phone-scrolling incident that became public.

If cleared by the NHL, Babcock would remain in place. But if the league's investigation goes against him, the Oilers face a serious credibility problem — either they didn't investigate properly or they knew about a transgression the NHL deemed unacceptable.

The broader coaching search has raised eyebrows, too. GM Stan Bowman said the Oilers' veteran players would have input but wouldn't choose the coach or sit in on interviews. Yet the team has conducted interviews with both Laviolette and Babcock, with players involved in the process — an "inmates running the asylum" dynamic that breaks from normal procedure.

Meanwhile, defenceman Darnell Nurse has agreed to a trade, signalling the team's willingness to make major changes. For a player who built his value through back-to-back bridge deals with the Oilers, the move gives him a fresh start and a chance to reset his market value elsewhere.