“Great Opportunity for Us,” Connor McDavid and Oilers Endorse New Head Coach Mike Babcock

Connor McDavid will enter the 1st year of his 2-year $25 million deal in the upcoming 2026-27 season.

“Great Opportunity for Us,” Connor McDavid and Oilers Endorse New Head Coach Mike Babcock

Connor McDavid and Mike Babcock (Image via NHL/Imago)

On Monday, Connor McDavid was seen golfing. The Edmonton Oilers captain teed up alongside his forward partner Leon Draisaitl at the seventh annual Zach Hyman Charity Classic golf tournament. During this, the Oilers leaders endorsed new head coach Mike Babcock.

This year, the Oilers suffered a first-round exit. The Canadian outfit lost 4-2 against the Anaheim Ducks and failed to reach a 3rd straight Stanley Cup Final.

This setback proved to be a big one for Kris Knoblauch. A few days later, he was fired from this position as head coach. He finished with a 135-77-21 record in the three seasons and a 31-22 record in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Reports later emerged that the Oilers were checking in on Mike Babcock. The veteran NHL head coach had been under heat following his resignation from the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023 after he was accused of invading the privacy of players by going through their phones.

Despite the controversy regarding him, the Oilers received the green light for his signing from the NHL. While fans on social media opposed this signing, McDavid had extended his support earlier.

On Monday, McDavid once again backed Babcock. While speaking with reporters from the Oakdale Golf and Country Club, the 3-time NHL MVP said that it was a great opportunity for him and his teammates to be coached by Babcock. He even called him a “perfect fit” for the team.

It’s a great opportunity for us players to be coached by somebody like him and learn from him. … With where our group’s at and what we’re looking for, he’s the perfect fit.

Connor McDavid said

Babcock does have a winning pedigree. He has won the Stanley Cup in his career and even helped Team Canada win gold medals at the Olympics.

The Oilers have not won the Stanley Cup since 1990. The Canadian side suffered back-to-back heartbreaks in 2024 and 2025 when they lost the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers.

Given the age of McDavid and Draisaitl, there are some concerns that the window of winning a championship could be closing soon. Speaking on this matter, Draisaitl believes that Babcock is the right guy to lead them.

I think it’s just the time that we’re all at in our career, I guess the age that we’re at, and I think he’s the right guy to get us to where we want to get to.

Leon Draisaitl said

Meanwhile, Zach Hyman is one of the few current Oilers stars who have played under Babcock. The 34-year-old, who was coached by Babcock at the Toronto Maple Leafs, expressed that he had a good experience with him.

I obviously had a very good experience with Mike in Toronto. I thought he did a great job with a lot of the young players there.

Zach Hyman said

So while the public may not be on his side, Babcock has the support of McDavid and the other leaders of the Oilers.

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Connor McDavid was “extremely disappointed” to lose Darnell Nurse

The 2026-27 season will see the Edmonton Oilers have some new faces in the new locker room. One face that will not be there is Darnell Nurse, who was traded to the San Jose Sharks earlier. Connor McDavid opened up about this on Monday and admitted that he was “extremely disappointed.”

Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse
Connor McDavid and Darnell Nurse (Image via Sportsnet)

McDavid and Nurse had been teammates ever since the former made his NHL debut. Nurse made his NHL debut during the 2014-15 season and had established himself as one of the marquee names in the Oilers’ defensive line.

After 12 seasons with the team, he requested a trade from the team. The 31-year-old ended up joining the Sharks and left the core of the Oilers.

While speaking on this matter, McDavid claimed it was hard to lose someone like him.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to really put into words what Nursey has meant to not only me, but the whole group and everybody in Edmonton. So, extremely disappointed to see that happen.

Connor McDavid said regarding Darnell Nurse

One of the new additions to the Oilers team is goaltender Frederik Andersen. The goalie played a huge part in the Stanley Cup victory of the Carolina Hurricanes this year.

The Oilers are optimistic about their chances in the 2026-27 season. It will be interesting to see how the team plays under the new leadership of Babcock.

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