The NHL officially opened its investigation into Mike Babcock after the Stanley Cup Final concluded, and the timing has left his coaching future in plain view. Even with that review underway, those close to the situation believe there is still a clear path for him to become the next coach of the Edmonton Oilers.
That is why Babcock is being discussed now. The league wants to wrap up the investigation by as early as the end of the week, and the question around him is no longer only about what happened in Columbus. It is also about whether the process closes quickly enough to leave his name available for Edmonton.
The case itself is already tied to the 2023-24 Blue Jackets team, with various members asked to participate in the investigation. Some players on that team had no desire to relive what happened so long ago, which gives the review a sharper edge than a routine check. The NHL is not treating the matter as finished just because Babcock stepped down before he coached one game.
That detail matters because it narrows the issue. The league’s review is still a live obstacle, but not necessarily a permanent one, and people around the situation believe the path back remains open. Darryl Katz and Connor McDavid are supporting Babcock, and McDavid’s influence with the NHLPA only adds to the sense that this is being watched far beyond one front office. The coaching search has already reached a point where the league’s timing may matter as much as its finding.
For Babcock, the next step is simple and potentially decisive: wait for the NHL to finish. If the investigation ends when the league wants it to end, his return to coaching can remain on the table. If it does not, the question stops being whether he is a candidate for the Edmonton Oilers and becomes whether the league has closed the door instead.
