Oilers’ Babcock Has His Work Cut Out for Him

I was recently in Austin, Texas, for the Eric Clapton Crossroads Festival where Pete Townshend was slated to appear. I wanted to hear him perform “Won’t Get Fooled Again.” That song seems appropriate after the Edmonton Oilers lay a dud in their opening game of the 2026-27 NHL season, losing 6-5 to the Vancouver Canucks in OT on Tuesday night.

I watched the Oilers’ new head coach, Mike Babcock, and I couldn’t help but think of the lyrics, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” Townshend had to pull out of the Crossroads Festival due to injury, and it seems the Oilers were no-shows for their opening performance under their new bench boss, the exception being Evan Bouchard.

It’s Only Game One, and Babcock Is Already Under Pressure

When Babcock spoke to the media post-game, he mentioned that his team turned the puck over too often and stayed out too long on the ice. When asked if the Oilers needed more from their goaltender Tristan Jarry, Babcock said, “Obviously that was pretty clear; everyone knows that.”

He added, “Our part is to play way better. That was ridiculous.”

What a statement from a new head coach after his first regular-season game behind the bench. The pressure is on Babcock to fix things quickly before the Oilers fall into one of their typical early-season slumps.

Goaltending Needs To Be Better

Questionable goaltending has been a recurring theme throughout the decade Connor McDavid has been in Edmonton. After Jarry’s opening-night performance, it’s clear Babcock and goalie coach Peter Aubry will have a hard time helping him regain his confidence.

Yes, the Oilers could have played better in front of him. However, when the team needed a big save against the Canucks, they didn’t get one. General manager Stan Bowman better hope that last night’s backup Devon Levi can step up, because if he can’t, it’s going to be a long first half waiting for Frederik Andersen to return from injury.

Babcock and D.J. Smith Have a Lot of Work To Do

Associate coach D.J. Smith was hired for his ability to help the team play better defensively. Smith and Babcock will spend a lot of hours going over video of the team’s defensive breakdowns after this game. It’s hard to fathom that a team that talked about their commitment to a full 200-foot game heading into the season could give up so many odd-man rushes on opening night.

The problem might not be fixable by the Oilers’ next game, a rematch on Oct. 1 in Vancouver, but Smith and Babcock have to move the needle quickly, or the team will be in big trouble by US Thanksgiving.

How Will Oilers Veterans Respond to Babcock?

One of the biggest questions surrounding hiring Babcock was whether he was too old-school a coach. How will McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm respond if he gets in their face? You can want a coach who cracks the whip, but what happens when you’re the one who is singled out? The rubber might be hitting the road sooner than expected, and if the Oilers play as badly as they did on opening night, it will be a real circus in Oil Country this season.

Not a Good First Impression

Remember the old dandruff shampoo slogan: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Babcock better hope he can erase the stench of his first game behind the Oilers’ bench and get the team on the right track asap.

Expectations are high, and patience is always low. As a veteran coach, we have to believe Babcock still has a few tricks up his sleeve to light a fire under the Oilers. Otherwise, he will have to start answering questions about whether today’s game has passed him by.