Edmonton Oilers could bring in another ex-NHL head coach alongside Babcock
Mike Babcock might not be the only veteran coach who gets hired by the Edmonton Oilers this summer.
It seems like Babcock is in line to become the next head coach of the Oilers after news broke on Monday of the 63-year-old speaking to Edmonton owner Daryl Katz and members of the team’s leadership group.
Once the team gets approval from the NHL and NHLPA, Babcock is expected to step in as Kris Knoblauch’s replacement behind the Oilers bench. But who will be his assistant coaches heading into the 2026-27 season?
The Oilers currently have Paul MacFarland and Paul Coffey listed as assistant coaches. MacFarland is expected to stick as Edmonton’s power-play coach, while the future of Coffey behind the bench is uncertain.
On top of firing Knoblauch, the Oilers also dismissed penalty-kill coach Mark Stuart last month, meaning there will be at least one spot left open on the coaching staff once Babcock is hired.
According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, ex-LA Kings head coach D.J. Smith could be the guy that Babcock brings with him to the Alberta capital.
“If Mike Babcock does end up as coach in Edmonton, wouldn’t surprise me if DJ Smith joined up with him again. But we’ll see where all this goes,” LeBrun wrote on Monday.
If Mike Babcock does end up as coach in Edmonton, wouldn’t surprise me if DJ Smith joined up with him again. But we’ll see where all this goes. https://t.co/xIKSwUj8lJ
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 8, 2026
Smith most recently served as the interim head coach of the Kings last season after LA fired Jim Hiller midway through the year. The 49-year-old was a candidate to become LA’s permanent coach this offseason, but the Kings opted to go with Peter Laviolette instead.
That makes Smith a free agent on the coaching market, and it doesn’t seem likely that he will be able to snag a head coach job anywhere else this summer. The Ontario native is much more likely to spend next season as an assistant.
Edmonton is an obvious landing spot for Smith, considering he worked alongside Babcock as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 2015 and 2019. He left the Leafs soon after Babcock was fired to take on his first head coaching gig with the Ottawa Senators.
Smith is known to be a much more player-friendly coach, which could offer some balance from the notoriously harsh coaching style of Babcock. It’s unclear what his exact focus would be if he joins the Oilers coaching staff.
Babcock will be the move that headlines Edmonton’s coaching staff additions, but it won’t be the only change coming behind the Oilers’ bench.