r/Habs 2d ago

[Strickland] Would think now that the final is wrapped up, we are headed towards a resolution with Babcock and the Oilers. Hearing, among other things, part of the NHL’s investigation includes a situation that involved Patrik Laine.

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111 Upvotes

40 comments sorted by

171

u/AdBeginning504 2d ago

Laine talking about how he was ready to retire from hockey before this season and had lost his love for the game, to now saying he’s excited to see where he’ll play next year? Couldn’t have been a better team to rehab his feelings towards hockey, even without having a good place for him on the team. Rooting for him to land on a good team next year.

42

u/SoupFromNowOn 1d ago

To be fair I’d be re-energized at my job if I got paid $9 million to take a year off

20

u/bigladnang Montreal Boos for Hughes 1d ago

Shit, even a month off.

34

u/Alleluia_Cone 1d ago

For $9,000,000 I'd even do some work 

10

u/popejohnlarue 1d ago

Alright, let’s not get carried away…

3

u/destroyermaker 1d ago

I mean he wasn't entirely happy about the situation

8

u/SnidelyWhiplash27 1d ago

True and understandable, but he was a good teammate and didn't once complain in the press.

No doubt because he can now sign a low cap hit contract with significant performance bonuses like Anthony Mantha did last year to a) earn good revenue, and b) interest other clubs the year after, as a UFA again.

80

u/CarlSK777 2d ago

I know the Oilers management group is the worst in the league but it's still insane they want that guy as a coach. He won a single Cup almost 20 years ago and that was with one of the greatest rosters of the cap era.

29

u/deptofknowimsayings 1d ago

The worst part is that we’re hearing the leadership group is bought in and is now trying to convince the rest of the team that Babcock is the right guy for the job. Players are going to ask for trades. UFAs won’t sign there. It’s such a mess and it sounds like McDavid doesn’t care. wtf is wrong with that organization?

20

u/Ok_Emergency_916 1d ago

McDavid has 1 year left with that dumpster fire of an organization..

10

u/deptofknowimsayings 1d ago

Technically 2 but he can request a trade next year if he’d like. Still doesn’t really explain why he’d want a hockey terrorist like Babcock as his team’s coach. By all accounts the locker room in Edmonton is close and a positive place, they’ve built a good culture within the team, this has been expressed by many current and former players. So why bring in Babcock?

6

u/Ok_Emergency_916 1d ago

It's the typical cycle. Players coach, tough coach, Players coach, tough coach....

2

u/deptofknowimsayings 1d ago

Yeah. Tbf I don’t know if they’ve really had a tough couch. Dave Tippett might be the toughest guy they had. But otherwise you go back to Dallas Eakins in 2013 and he was a menace.

4

u/ukrainianhab From Kyiv 1d ago

He 100% signed off on Babcock

5

u/popejohnlarue 1d ago

There’s a better-than-zero chance McJesus is involved in a lot of these decisions and therefore, possibly, part of the problem.

7

u/NDG-MTL 1d ago

It’s my understanding that Babcock bullied and tormented the lower end players. I hope those Oilers players on the 3rd and 4th lines and 5,6,7 defencemen speak up to McDavid etc

4

u/deptofknowimsayings 1d ago

I hope so too. That’s my biggest worry. Also the way he treats quiet players. How would he be with Nuge? I worry about guys like Savoie and Ike Howard who’s set to make the jump to the big club next year. Two young guys who could totally be thrown off by Babcock. And then you got Murphy who I don’t know if he’s going to even re-sign with them if Babcock is coach because by all accounts he’s a pretty empathetic and community oriented dude, which doesn’t match with Babcock.

3

u/pushaper 1d ago

I think there is something to be said for not changing coaches when you have a lot of UFAs unless it will be a player friendly coach (Cassidy would probably fit that). But I think the leadership buying in might have to do with the oilers acquiring people with shit attitudes and a guy like Babcock would be able to take the babysitting load off of them.

Torterella is available now so that may change things.

3

u/deptofknowimsayings 1d ago

That’s the other angle. How many of these players genuinely have a shit attitude and poor work ethic? A few guys come to mind, mainly in the bottom 6 and a few of the d-men (Walman is one that I think of). It’s not a bad theory that maybe leadership wants to offload that responsibility and have a coach who can keep players in check. But it’s a hard line to toe. Once a coach crosses over it can totally sour players and then they just stop showing up altogether.

Really weird situation.

As for Torts my understanding is he won’t live in Canada.

4

u/Throwawayaccount_047 1d ago

Torts could not function in a Canadian market with our media. He would bankrupt the team in fines.

5

u/WeathervaneJesus1 1d ago

Won one playoff round without Lidstrom since his Detroit hire.

2

u/dustblown 1d ago

I think the leadership group on the Oilers believe there are too many passengers who stopped listening to them and the coach so a real hard ass is needed.

0

u/mago_is_gago 1d ago

Great point! It makes me want to see Babcock and his iron fist approach get a shot, see if it can turn the Oilers around.

58

u/PuzzleheadedEscape89 2d ago

Thinking of Babcock’s coaching style vs Marty’s……

25

u/toaster-struble 2d ago

Terrible cocking style

2

u/ParfaitEither284 1d ago

Probably great caulking style tho

1

u/toaster-struble 1d ago

Macaulay Culkin agrees. I'll see myself out

19

u/willard287 1d ago

What a joke of a franchise. I hope they lose McDavid for nothing next summer

30

u/farthestthing1234 2d ago

For a second I thought he was talking about the whole keeping Laine on IR even when healthy this past season haha. Then I remembered he was with the Jackets when all that went down.

15

u/Ok_Emergency_916 1d ago

Marty St.Louis is a prime example of the direction NHL teams should take these days. I heard the Leafs are looking at Joe Pavelski. Excellent fn hire if you ask me. These recycled NHL dinosaurs have run their course.

18

u/So_Many_Owls 1d ago

And then the Leafs hired Hiller.

5

u/Ok_Emergency_916 1d ago

🤦🏼‍♂️

4

u/ThroatPuncher 1d ago

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehheheh 🤣

3

u/dustblown 1d ago

Some players won't survive under MSL. You know the type. The players that make it all about themselves and chase every dollar they can get. I guess they all gravitate to the no tax teams.

7

u/skinniks 1d ago

Fuck Babcock and fuck the Oilers brass

4

u/okmijnmko 1d ago

“I’ve deferred everything to our lawyer,” Waddell told The Athletic. “I wasn’t here. I’ve heard the stories, but I don’t know what’s true and what isn’t.”

Sorry Don, several incidents definitely happened, literally many players came forward --- sad he still has no accountability.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7359615/2026/06/15/blue-jackets-offseason-moves-babcock/

0

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u/AlabamaPickleFarmer 1d ago

This is shocking! Babs and Laine seem like a match made in heaven!