TThe Edmonton Oilers’ decision to hire Mike Babcock as head coach may have been about more than just finding someone who knows how to push the right buttons. These days, that’s the dominant narrative in Edmonton — Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and others in the leadership group have been vocal in praising the polarizing bench boss. But there might be more to this story than meets the eye.
According to TSN’s Bryan Hayes, the polarizing hire has served a secondary — and possibly intentional — purpose: taking the spotlight off Connor McDavid’s contract situation entirely.
“It appears, from my point of view, it’s playing exactly like they want it to,” Hayes said. “The plan was to make everything about Mike Babcock, and that’s the only thing we’re talking about.”
Hayes isn’t the only one to bring this up. The Missin Curfew Show said something similar. “He’s made it all about him, and not even on purpose, I don’t think.” He said the front-page news is that the Babcock hiring has taken all of the pressure off of the big boys, which has to be a breath of fresh air.
Oilers Fans Aren’t Talking About McDavid’s Contract
It might be a bit much to argue that the Oilers set out to take some of the conversation away from McDavid and Draisaitl with the Babcock decision, but it’s hard to argue with the way the narrative has shifted. Hayes pointed out that in previous training camps, the dominant storyline was always McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — specifically, whether McDavid would commit to Edmonton long-term or eventually walk away. This year, that conversation has all but disappeared.
McDavid maintains that his interest is exclusively to win in Edmonton. That hasn’t stopped everyone from jumping to their own conclusions should the Oilers not hoist the Stanley Cup.
Over the past few weeks and after two preseason games and four or five on-ice sessions, talk of McDavid’s future has been replaced by wall-to-wall coverage of Babcock’s demanding style and the players’ public embrace of it.
Hayes isn’t entirely convinced the enthusiasm is genuine, calling some of it “a little bit over the top and a bit performative.” Saying they are “laying it on pretty thick”, he wonders if the public praise is as much about defending their decision as it is about really believing Babcock is the solution.
The Conversation Will Shift to McDavid Again
The Oilers have to hope the Babcock hiring pays dividends. Whether fans and media are talking about McDavid’s contract or not, winning is what matters. If the new coach doesn’t help push the Oilers over the top, it’s hard to imagine McDavid feeling comfortable locking in long-term.
He’s got this season and next on his current deal. He can sign an extension as early as July 1, and you can bet the money tossed his way will be outrageously high. It won’t take long for media to start asking the contract questions and what kind of extension he’ll be looking for. Understandably, McDavid and the Oilers would like to avoid those questions.
Whether or not the media-distraction theory was the actual front-office strategy, the Babcock storyline has swallowed camp coverage, and McDavid’s contract — arguably the single biggest storyline in the league — has taken a back seat.
With two seasons at most to prove they can get over the hump, anything short of a deep playoff run means more concern over what McDavid will do. The Babcock hire buys the Oilers time. How long remains to be seen.
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