Connor McDavid's Edmonton Oilers have hired Mike Babcock as their new head coach, tasking him with delivering a Stanley Cup before McDavid's two-year, $25 million contract runs out.
The Oilers' interest in Babcock stemmed from the Vegas Golden Knights refusing to let them interview Bruce Cassidy.
What happened?
The Oilers' brass settled on Babcock after a tumultuous offseason, which included firing Kris Knoblauch and tussling with the Golden Knights over Cassidy.
The NHL cleared Babcock to coach after investigating his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
How NHL Fans Reacted
Fans reacted swiftly to the news, with Russell Morgan saying "we are laughing" and Ryan Mead, host of Blueshirts Breakaway, joking "thanks for taking that discount, McDavid".
Daily Faceoff's Jonny Lazarus noted the drama of the offseason has already been insane, and it's not even at the Draft yet.
Why The Oilers Are On The Clock
The Oilers are feeling the heat this summer, with McDavid's bargain-basement $12.5M AAV contract kicking in this year, making him eligible to sign an extension when the season closes.
The team has handed out extensions to Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson, but still needs depth scoring and blueline help, especially with Darnell Nurse expected to be traded.
The Oilers have questions in goal, given the Tristan Jarry gamble didn't play out as planned.
And with Babcock's coaching pedigree, including a 90-74 record across 164 games in 14 postseason appearances, the team is betting on him to turn things around.
But Babcock hasn't won a playoff series since 2013, and hasn't coached in the league since 2019, making this a make-or-break year for the Oilers.
The team's general manager, Stan Bowman, has his work cut out for him this summer, trying to load up on talent to surround McDavid.
So the coming season will be crucial for the Oilers, with McDavid's future hanging in the balance.
The Oilers' move to hire Babcock has been met with skepticism, with Adam Gretz believing it will be a "spectacular failure".
But the team is hoping Babcock's experience will pay off, and they can finally deliver a Stanley Cup to their fans.