Mike Babcock just got a surprising endorsement from Sidney Crosby himself.
Some Oilers fans questioned the hire immediately, pointing to Babcock's resignation from Columbus before he ever coached a game there amid reports of misconduct.
Edmonton's front office believed differently, betting Babcock could finally deliver the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1990.
That belief got real reinforcement from inside the room too. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have both praised Babcock throughout the offseason.
Now Crosby, one of the most respected players in hockey history, has added his own endorsement on top of it.
He specifically praised Babcock's line matching and organizational skills, catching plenty of fans off guard given the hire's rocky reception.
It's the coaching equivalent of a rival team's captain publicly praising your new boss, the kind of compliment that carries weight precisely because he had nothing to gain from it.
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Crosby gives Mike Babcock major endorsement ahead of Oilers training camp
Babcock has been clear about wanting every player to feel important in the lineup and staying willing to adapt if something isn't working.
That approach is new for Oilers fans, who didn't see much of it under previous coach Kris Knoblauch.
Babcock's coaching resume backs up the respect. He won a Stanley Cup with Detroit in 2008 and helped lead four straight Central Division titles.
Across 1,301 regular season games as a head coach, Babcock carries a 700-418-183 record, an enormous body of work by any measure.
He's also 10th all-time in playoff wins, going 90-74 through 164 postseason games across 14 different playoff appearances.
Other coaching options existed. Bruce Cassidy wasn't given permission to interview by Vegas, and Peter Laviolette ended up with the Kings instead.
D.J. Smith, passed over elsewhere, ended up joining Edmonton anyway as an assistant on Babcock's own staff.
Is outside praise from a legend like Crosby actually meaningful here, or does it just soften a hire that still carries real baggage?
Edmonton doesn't have much room for a rebuild. McDavid is locked up for two more years, and the prospect pool behind him isn't especially deep.
My take: Crosby's praise is a nice data point, but this hire still gets judged entirely on results given what's actually on the line.
We'll see what happens. Praise from respected voices only carries this conversation so far once games actually start counting.
Source : Penguins' Crosby Praises Oilers' Hiring of Mike Babcock
Does Sidney Crosby's endorsement change how you feel about the Babcock hire?
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