Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - What The HELL Are The Edmonton Oilers Thinking?? | BB Clips

Episode Date: June 9, 2026

Boomer, Rhett and Pinder react to the stunning reports linking Mike Babcock to the Edmonton Oilers head coaching job and try to make sense of one of the most controversial stories in hockey. Nearly three years after his brief and disastrous stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets came to an end before he coached a single game, Babcock is once again being connected to an NHL bench. The guys discuss Darren Dreger's reporting, the Oilers' apparent interest, and why the organization would be willing to revisit a coach whose reputation has been under intense scrutiny for years. They also get into what this says about Edmonton's urgency to win, whether players and management believe Babcock has changed, and how Oilers fans should feel about the possibility of him becoming the next coach. Is this a smart hockey decision, or are the Oilers taking a massive risk at the worst possible time? Let us know what you think in the comments.Video Link: https://youtu.be/ZruVVcJloDY#nhl #nhlshorts #nhlplayoffs #nhlpredictions #nhlhockey #nhlpicks #stanleycup #stanleycupfinal #edmontonoilers CHECK OUT OUR STUFF ⬇️BARN BURNER MERCHhttps://nationgear.ca/collections/shirts/FlamesnationBARN BURNER SHORTS https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj_bcGtvvo-cW2DHEDZ6dEO5ePDmlhZc9&si=jo8iNGxT4ImhS2Y8📲 Follow us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fnbarnburner/X (Twitter): https://x.com/barnburnerfn?lang=en🎧 Listen on:Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/be/podcast/barn-burner-boomer-pinder-with-rhett-warrener/id1648562889Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Mc6Qd5U22R2zbMlQ7RxIiProducer: Jack Haverstock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To me, it speaks of pure desperation on behalf of the Oilers. We can look at the tweets that went out yesterday, and this was from Dregs. The Emmington Oilers are consulting with the NHLPA to see if there are objections that must be resolved before potentially hiring Mike Babcock. Amid allegations of invading players' privacy, Babcock resigned in Columbus as head coach in 2023. Further investigation may be required. If it's determined, an investigation is required. It move forward sources, say the NHL, NHL would manage it. The NHLPA has declined.

So no one's really talking about it. It really took, it caught fire yesterday. A lot of the people, you know, the Bob Stauffers, Jason Gregors, the guys up in Edmonton, Ryan Rashog, this is the Oilers guy. This is who they want. They want to hire him. They're going to do what they can to get this through. Now, you know, the NHL weren't exactly, it wasn't working for the Oilers when the Oilers said, well, we'd like Cassidy.

Can you do anything there? What's the deal? And it sounds like the Bettmans and Bill Daley's of the world have said, well, it's kind of a contract thing. They're the lawyers, right? They have the lawyer legal background. So they would know as much as anybody else. So it seems like clearly the Cassidy thing isn't going to happen. Then the notion was brought up, do you maybe just find an interim like a one year.

fix. Maybe you would have kept non-block. Can you do that with Connor McDavid on with the clock's loudly ticking? I don't know that you could just bring in a coach or install somebody and then we'll get Cassidy in a year. That doesn't feel like that's going to work. So now they've pivoted here.

I don't know that LaVuette was ever a big option. It didn't sound like it. And now it's Mike Babcock. I don't know what you think of Babcock as a coach. He's well decorated, but he hasn't won anything in a long time. His reputation has been absolutely raked across the coals. And it feels like desperation. It feels like he's a guy that's going to be able to handle the scrutiny and the spotlight and all that, all the shit that comes into it.

But it's a wild, it's a wild story. And I, I know I was watching Gregor's clip yesterday. and he's basically saying this is this is so desperate. This is just pure desperation on behalf of the Oilers. It feels like there's a lot of coaches out there, but this is they couldn't. This is a short list if Babcock is of more controversial choices that they could, uh, that they could possibly possibly go for.

Let's try you. Have we got you? I believe so. I see you. I see you. I was just going to ask what you thought from the Oilers standpoint. We can talk about what Babcock is or isn't, but I've just kind of walked through it. They wanted Cassidy.

They couldn't get them, but now they got a fire knob lock because it looks bad. And then Babcock, in some respects, he's got a ton of experience and he can handle the pressure. And on a flip side, it feels like this feels kind of, if not totally desperate for Edmonton. 100% desperate. Like it's like they're overthinking it to the unth degree. I don't the Cassidy thing made sense.

He's not, I don't think he was loved and he wears him short like some coaches do. But I don't know where Babcock's name came back into the fray. Like I don't know how it reentered. I know that it reeks of desperation. In my opinion. And I, again, I've got no. ill will towards Mike Babcock

but I don't know where he won in Detroit with elite talent the Anaheim was a did a good job coach that's a hell of a run but I don't know that he's pushed teams

to more success than they would have you know what I mean? There's no, is he being the catalyst when I watch Anaheim I think Joel Quinville did one of a job getting that team to play good hockey. I don't know where I can point to Mike having that kind of influence on a hockey team. Yeah, would those Detroit teams have had the same success? A lot of Hall of Famers there.

Those team Canada's would hit would they have won pretty good teams. But if you flip it, it's like hey, it's somebody had to coach them and he was the guy and they won. So just excited for the Oilers to get a really well established coach who's got a track record in a pedigree of winning. and definitely has done things the last seven years and was a candidate everywhere else. He's obviously a great candidate. He's been applying everywhere and definitely was seen as a normal person

to interview for this job. See, ordinarily, I'm loath to go to you when you're not in studio and that sort of thing, but the story wouldn't be complete without you chiming in and hearing your completely unbiased take on the Oilers coaching search. Well,

I mean, I just, has anyone else even talked to him for since the Columbus, let me look at your phone nonsense? Like, no, it was touch. It was 10 foot pole stuff for a long time. And I know it was probably, I could probably text Greg. He had reached out to him. It sounded like about maybe a month, six weeks ago. And Texas is like, hey, is there any? He's like, drags, I'm retired.

I'm loving life. Was kind of the story that Drager, uh, rolled out. I don't know whether I want it to happen or whether I don't. I do. I mean, what we know is that they would much rather, if you put them in the spot a year ago, have Chris Knoblock than Mike Babcock. But they continue to twist themselves in a pretzel. And look, the Cassidy stuff, no one saw coming.

I think he'd be a great fit there. But it feels like Laviolet pick somewhere else. And I just feel like they have pigeonholed themselves into a spot where a candidate they would have no interest in is suddenly seemingly their best option, which is great. This is all we've wanted in Calgary. a way to have a decade with McDavid and win nothing. Like it was touching go for a while there, but I feel very comfortable with Babs of the helm. Let's go.

Sign it today. It's, I mean, you kind of talk about the fumbling a dynasty or whatever. But I mean, even for us, Rhett, it feels like,

you guys are fucking this up. The clock is sitting here. The, the, Carter takes less money so they can sign key players and they don't really do that very well. and this is, this feels like pure desperation.

And I, I just wonder what's McDavid thinking. I know that Rishog was talking yesterday. He's like, this, you obviously would have talked to all of the guys in the room and the guys were before it. Are they, are they really going to come? I don't know how that's expected to go. What are they selling when they go talk to those guys? Are they, are they asking? I think they're asking.

What do you think about Mike Babcock? And what's the player's response? I don't know. It hasn't gone over well anywhere else. Let's go get them. We had kind of kicked around. Daryl Sutter's name, almost in jests. Like there's a guy up there that would be better than this, Rhett?

100%. If Daryl Sutter was going into Edmonton Day, we would be rattled in a bad way. With Mike Babcock, we're kind of like, okay, this is interesting. He gives us lots to talk about. With Big D, it would be like, what a, that's a great fine. You're not going to question it. And maybe we're wrong in questioning it at all anyway. You said it.

He's got a track record, but there is a lot of baggage on that bus. And no one's talking about it. And it just looks like, I'm sorry, from afar, if you're not an Oilers honk and have the tat to on your face, you're going, what the are these guys? he's doing. Yeah, I can't imagine that anybody is feeling like this is a a stroke of genius that they're bringing a Hall of Fame coach in to be the final piece of the puzzle. Like how did they coax this guy out? Yeah. How did they coax

this guy out of retirement? This is amazing. What to find like there's no. Everyone's going. And the thing with the Oilers in non-pinder. Yeah. Conversation, they could still win. They're, Got McDavid and Drysidal and they've got Bouchard. Like there's a lot of talent there. Hyman. But that doesn't look like they're helping themselves at all. Well, it's two things that they could really need help.

They need help with it would seem. And maybe not even so much coaching, but they need a coach. They're making a coaching change. And I don't think they've addressed it here. And they need goaltending. And they have not addressed that yet. So they can do all the other stuff. But man, this is how that goes.

And it may well go that way. I am curious, though, what the NHL is going to say. I don't think they're going to keep Babcock out. I'm guessing if it came down to it. And if Darrell Cates is like, listen, this is my guy. They're going to allow it. But Bab is anything illegal, but can. Well, what it was is because he resigned in Columbus.

He wasn't fired and then had to, you know, go through the path of redemption. and I've talked to, I'm a changed per, all that sort of stuff that you usually hear about and it might be all be bullshit anyway. But rather than face the music to what happened there, he just left. So I don't know if there would need to be some legal hoops or public image things that Babs would have to do

in order to make that a go. But it did not end well in Columbus to be sure. It didn't start. Yeah, it started poorly and went worse from there. People are in the chat. They're like, Darrell said, listen, we're sitting here. Maybe Darrell doesn't want to coach.

Maybe Darrell's had enough coach. And maybe he's happy. He's got grandkids. He's got family. Maybe he doesn't want to do it. He's 67 years old, which is not old. Babs is 63. He's got, he's got gas in the tank, would be my guess,

as if it came down to it. Do you want to go to Ed, with the best player in the world and one of the other best players in the world and help get them over the hump and to a fan base and it reeks of something that Daryl would take on as a challenge, which again, I almost don't like to talk about it because there would be some. It would get a little angsty for sure if you're not wanting them to win. We jumped right in. Retro, where are you right now? People want to, are you in the outhouse? Are you sitting on the, are you on the biff?

What do you tell Jack to do in the morning? His, uh, yeah, his, uh, gratitude or whatever. Yeah, yeah. You got your Costanza sweater on. People want to know what the sweater is. I was in my trailer because it was raining. Yeah. But apparently the internet, uh, crapped out.

And so then I came to the, uh, the deck at, my brother's place. I see. The people were in the chat. Retro, you should get Starlink. It was like, yeah,

that's what he went and got Starlink. That's what I got. A lot of trees. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's your brother got? I have no idea,

but he's in a, he's in a more clear area. Like he's not covered the tree. He's got access to the skies. Maybe he's got one of those things that or you bounce the signal, whatever they get the repeaters. Maybe he's got a repeater or something up there.

You'll have to get the Warner Tower, you know, this show. I'll climb a tree. It's, I'll climb a tree today at some point. Yeah. So are you out there? Are you a solo?

Have you got a kid with you, kids or pals? I was begging for a boat. I got a boat. I had to haul it down rather than park it in front of my house. So yeah. Dumped that thing and I'll be back later today. Nice. They're giving boats away, Dean.

How did it haul? Is it a good haul and boat or, yeah. Fuel consumption. Oof. just to haul it, yeah. Oh, baby. Yeah. That's good stuff.

And then I hear the, I think we talked about the, the, uh, the boats themselves also run on the same fuel. Is that how it goes? Yeah, it's a recycling type of thing or the sun and the oil and the water. It all mixes together. Yeah, it's good. Yeah. Happiness and sunshine is, uh, I think what Pinder said the other day.

No, Pinder is at the, I think it's the, uh, it's the, uh, it's the stampeter charity golf tournament today. this is their buy week again it's it's a little CFLy they play week one and then you got a buy in week two um but whatever so they are having their little charity their little charity event they're having their charity uh golf outing so pender's a part of that we like we had a john bender's sighting and berry brust year there on the on there so there has to be a lot of people talking about this babcock thing i just massive yeah right yeah yeah and i think knowing Gary, he'll be sour

that this is happening during the cup final. I think there's a bit of an unwritten thing. If you're doing a signing or if there's something going on, if it's pressing, then do it. But if we can wait till after it's two weeks. Can you hold off for two weeks? And generally they do. This is not Edmonton throwing it out there,

but it's. It's Edmonton effing it up again, though. They've got no, because they're very, they come across as extremely arrogant in their approach to what they don't yeah they just think everybody's gonna the Cassidy thing well we're gonna talk yeah no you're not well shit now we got to fire oh okay and they could have waited why the f were they release like i don't know how it gets out but it should be ironclad that this is not going on game four of the stanling up finals is on and I even were talking about Babcock.

Not good for the league, I don't think. I think it's inevitably going to get out because of the profile of McDavid and Babk, just the whole thing. And because it is. It's, it's a juicy thing. Babcock has met with, I was because I was watching Bob Stauffer. I've watched, again, those guys, they, they do great work up there and we take shots at the always, but those guys, they, they cover that team as well as anybody covers a team. that the owner has met and talked with Babcock and Babcock has either met or had multiple conversations

with the leadership group inside the room and all that. If you're flying, are you doing that sort of thing? It takes one guy in an airport to see you and then it comes out. That's a tough one to keep under wraps for sure. Well, he's not flying to Edmonton to meet with McDavid. Are they all hanging out in Edmonton for the festival? is something? No, I don't think so. No, I don't think so. Yeah. No, but I, maybe if you're, if you're meeting, somebody's flying

somewhere, I don't, Gary won't be happy is what you need to know.