Sidney Crosby Reveals Thoughts on New Oilers Coach Mike Babcock

The Edmonton Oilers had some massive decisions to make coming into the 2026/27 season, and after crashing out in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the team knew they needed to make some moves to take a leap back into Stanley Cup contention. The biggest decision of all for the Oilers was their Head Coach, as the team needed a much different personality to Kris Knoblauch, and as a result, they decided to make the controversial decision to hire Mike Babcock. That comes on the back of him being fired by the Columbus Blue Jackets before ever coaching a game with the team, and while there's been immense criticism of the move for Edmonton, veteran Sidney Crosby has praised the hiring. Sidney Crosby Praises the Coach That Mike Babcock Will be in Edmonton Obviously, with all of the controversy that surrounds the old-school coach from his times in both Columbus and Toronto, it's very easy to see why many in Edmonton questioned whether or not this was the right move for the Oilers to make. However, there's been some positivity around the move, as many believe his hard-nosed style is what the duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl need to take this team to the next level after falling short at the final hurdle twice in the past three years. One person that did see some positivity in this move is veteran Sidney Crosby, who recently addressed the Oilers hiring, listing off why he believes Babcock was a good hire for Edmonton. 'Really good bench management when it comes to matching lines… just a feel for the game,' said Crosby. 'He was really good at painting a clear picture on how he wanted us to play and what guys' jobs were.' Are the Oilers Stanley Cup Contenders in 2027? Last year, it was clear that the Oilers simply weren't the team that made back-to-back Stanley Cup runs in the two years prior, but with the addition of Frederik Andersen, the trade of Darnell Nurse and a long summer of rest, the belief is that this team can turn things around in 2026/27. While it doesn't all depend on Babcock, after the team parted ways with Kris Knoblauch, they need him to step up and make his mark on the organization quickly, and given the style of coach that he's been throughout his career, there's no reason to believe that he'll do anything but that. Ultimately, this likely isn't going to be a long-term partnership in Edmonton given all that we know about how quickly Babcock wears out his welcome, but if he can get this team to take the final leap towards their first Stanley Cup since 1990, then all of the backlash and the controversy will no doubt be worth it.