NHL insider Frank Seravalli recently reported that the Edmonton Oilers might face damaging revelations about prospective coach Mike Babcock's past. According to Seravalli, if the Oilers proceed with Babcock, sources indicate the NHLPA possesses 'significant' additional claims from their own investigation with players that were not publicly disclosed in 2023. These claims were presented to the NHL prior to Babcock's resignation.
No New Evidence Surfaces
A week has passed since Seravalli's report, yet no substantial new information has emerged publicly. The latest buzz around the NHL suggests that the league's investigation into Babcock could conclude quickly.
Some observers are questioning whether there is any real substance behind the rumors surrounding Babcock. On the program Oilers Now, former NHL GM and player agent Brian Lawton, who has defended Babcock as both a coach and an individual, told host Bob Stauffer, 'On Mike Babcock, every time I do a radio interview, I say the same thing: Show me the smoking gun. Where is it? What is it? I've heard a lot of talk about it... I've called many of the people involved with that myself, and I have not been able to find anything. That doesn't mean there's something there, but time is of the essence.'
Lawton Calls for Transparency
Lawton expressed frustration with the prolonged speculation. 'You know, in America, you're supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. It's not what somebody said may have happened or this happened — and I've heard everything on this. I look forward to hearing what the final say is on it.' He reiterated that no significant wrongdoing has come to light. 'If you did something wrong, you did something wrong, and I just think it would have surfaced at this stage, but I could be wrong and we'll find out.'
Darnell Nurse Trade Rumors
Lawton also addressed defenseman Darnell Nurse's situation, noting that the Oilers' trade request for Nurse will attract interest. 'There's a shortage of quality defensemen in the National Hockey League. I've talked to a lot of people in Edmonton and other media, and they've said the same thing: Can you trade him? Of course you can trade Darnell Nurse. He's a top 4D that doesn't miss games... He has a high cap hit, but there are people dying for players just like him. Would they love his cap hit a little bit lower? I think there are people actually fine with his cap hit. But of course they're going to ask for the moon. That's just the way it works.'
Lawton emphasized that Edmonton isn't trading Nurse because he's a bad player. 'I just think that they've had a couple of playoff runs, it hasn't worked out... I think a trade would be beneficial for both the team and the player in the end. I really do.'
NHL Investigation Timeline
On Oilers Now, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman commented on the Babcock investigation: 'I am under the impression it probably won't take a long time. I think that's the goal here. I think the NHL was really annoyed that this took as much airtime as it did during the Stanley Cup final. We kind of knew that this was going to be happening, but they really refrained from saying much about it until Monday. Even then, there was only confirmation of a league investigation.'
