Mike Babcock is nearing a final NHL review, and Edmonton may be closing in on its next head coach.
That's the read coming out of Chris Johnston's latest comments, and it instantly shifts this from rumor chatter to a real front-office watch in Edmonton.
Johnston said people with direct knowledge of what happened believe Babcock is going to be allowed to work.
That matters because the league review is the one gate that still stands in front of any return.
Once that gate opens, the Oilers become the story.
Edmonton finished 41-30-11 with 93 points, so this isn't a club staring at a full rebuild. This is a bench decision tied to a team that still expects to push.
That's why Babcock makes sense as more than a random name on a summer list. He would arrive as a hard-edged coach for a roster built to win now, not two years from now.
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The timing is what jumps out most. Johnston didn't frame this like a distant possibility. He framed it like a verdict could land soon, and the next move could follow quickly.
Why Edmonton is the pressure point for Mike Babcock
Stan Bowman now sits in the middle of the call, and that makes this more than a league story. It becomes an Oilers power move the second the review comes back clean.
A hire like this would split the room outside the locker room, but inside it, the question is simpler. Can Babcock push a contender to defend better, manage details better, and handle the daily heat that comes with a high-end roster?
Edmonton scored 282 goals this season, so offense isn't the pitch here. The sales job would be structure, bench control, and getting more out of the group when games tighten up.
That's also why this report carries weight beyond one radio hit. Johnston didn't lean on guesswork. He pointed to people who were there and believe the path back to an NHL bench is opening.
If that happens, the Oilers won't stay quiet for long.
Babcock has the profile to dominate a market like Edmonton the minute he walks in, and every line change, every practice, and every postgame answer would get picked apart.
But if the final review clears him, the bigger takeaway is simple. Edmonton may not just be monitoring the situation. Edmonton may already be preparing for it.
Should the Edmonton Oilers hire Mike Babcock if the NHL clears him?
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