Free Agency Outlook: 2 Oilers Closer to Staying, 2 Oilers Closer to Leaving
Edmonton will prioritize extensions for Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson, but other circumstances could force Jack Roslovic and others onto the market.
Video Transcript
Even though Babcock has been cleared a- and it's all legal, it's all kosher, do you think it would still be worth it for the Oilers to, to go down this road, just considering the, the PR optics and, and the circus that'll come with it?
No.
I want to watch that press conference and see Mark Spector and other reporters grill Mike Babcock, and I'm sure he'll be at his ev- evasive best.
This is a PR disaster.
I don't think it's worth it.
Mike Babcock has not won a, has not been in a, coaching situation since 2019 when he was fired by the Maple Leafs.
He hasn't won a playoff series in over a decade.
great, he's got a great reputation.
He's won a Stanley Cup.
He's won Olympic gold medals.
He's not worth all this.
But Edmonton, yeah, w- obviously there's buy-in from ownership, and there's buy-in from Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and the leadership group with, with the Oilers.
It's ref- it's reflective of how desperate they are to win a Stanley Cup that they're gonna go down the road with this guy.
you know, you're selling your soul to the devil when it comes to Mike Babcock.
You know, be careful what you wish for.
And I, I joked, but I think I'm serious.
This is a guarantee that in two years, Connor McDavid is playing someplace else because I can't imagine that he would put himself through two years of hell m- with Mike Babcock and not win a Stanley Cup and then stay in Edmonton.
So this is a desperate long bomb play, and I think they'll g- they're gonna go through with it, but I think it's a big mistake.
