The Edmonton Oilers are nearing an agreement to hire Mike Babcock as their next head coach, sources told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
It was reported earlier Monday that the Oilers were consulting the NHLPA to see if there were any objections that needed to be resolved before hiring Babcock.
Edmonton's core leadership group was consulted about Babcock's potential hiring and provided input to management, sources told Wyshynski.
Babcock hasn't coached in the NHL since the Toronto Maple Leafs fired him in November 2019. He was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023, but he resigned before ever coaching a game due to allegations that he invaded players' privacy. The NHLPA investigated claims that Babcock asked players for their phones, scrolled through their camera rolls, and projected photos onto a larger screen.
Following Babcock's resignation, John Davidson, then the Blue Jackets' president of hockey operations, said the team "made a mistake" by hiring him.
That wasn't the first time Babcock was accused of mistreating players. During his tenure with the Maple Leafs, Babcock made a rookie Mitch Marner rank his teammates based on work ethic and then shared the list with the rest of the team.
In 2019, Johan Franzen, who was coached by Babcock on the Detroit Red Wings from 2005-15, said Babcock verbally assaulted him to the point he had a mental breakdown. Franzen called him "the worst person I have ever met."
Babcock also healthy scratched Mike Modano for multiple games in his final NHL season, despite Modano needing just one more appearance to reach the 1,500-game milestone. Modano finished his career with 1,499 games.
However, Babcock carries a winning pedigree. He won the 2008 Stanley Cup with the Red Wings, and he also made Cup Final appearances with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003 and the Red Wings in 2009. His 700 career victories rank 12th on the all-time list.
Internationally, Babcock coached Canada to gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. The 63-year-old is the only coach in the Triple Gold Club.
The Oilers fired head coach Kris Knoblauch in May after a first-round playoff exit. They tried to speak to Bruce Cassidy about the opening but were blocked by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Babcock's hiring would come at a critical juncture for the Oilers with just two years left on captain Connor McDavid's contract.
