Mike Babcock adds former Leafs assistant to his Oiler coachng staff

The Edmonton Oilers are wasting no time assembling the pieces around their new head coach. After naming Mike Babcock as the franchise's next bench boss on Tuesday, the club quickly moved to fill out his coaching staff with a name that carries both familiarity and a long resume of its own. The hire signals a clear desire to blend experience with established chemistry as the team looks to maximize its championship window with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

A Familiar Partnership Revived

D.J. Smith has been named associate coach under Babcock, reuniting a duo that first worked together with the Toronto Maple Leafs beginning in 2015. Smith spent four seasons as an assistant on Babcock's staff in Toronto before branching out on his own, eventually landing the head coaching job with the Ottawa Senators in May 2019.

The 49-year-old Windsor, Ontario native brings a wealth of coaching experience to Edmonton. After parts of five seasons leading the Senators, where he compiled a 131-154-32 record across 317 games, Smith was let go 26 games into the 2023-24 campaign. His 131 victories still rank second among all-time Senators head coaches. He quickly resurfaced with the Los Angeles Kings, initially joining as an assistant in February 2024 before being elevated to interim head coach in March of this year when the Kings parted ways with Jim Hiller. Under Smith's guidance, Los Angeles posted an 11-6-6 record to close out the regular season, though the team was ultimately swept by the Colorado Avalanche in the opening round of the playoffs.

Smith's coaching roots extend well beyond the NHL. He began his career behind the bench with the OHL's Windsor Spitfires in 2005, spending eight seasons there and capturing two Memorial Cup titles. He then moved on to coach the Oshawa Generals starting in 2012, leading them to an OHL championship and a dominant Memorial Cup victory in 2015, which caught the attention of the Maple Leafs and Babcock.

Before coaching, Smith had a playing career of his own. Selected 41st overall by the New York Islanders in the 1995 NHL Draft, he was traded to Toronto in a deal that also included Wendel Clark and Mathieu Schneider. As a defenseman, he appeared in 45 NHL games with the Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche, while also logging 393 AHL games across parts of nine seasons.

What It Means for Edmonton's Direction

The decision to bring Smith aboard as Babcock's associate coach reflects the Oilers' broader strategy of building a staff rooted in prior working relationships and proven NHL experience. Babcock's return to the league comes seven years after he last coached an NHL game and follows an investigation by the league into his conduct during a brief, turbulent tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023. The NHL cleared Edmonton to proceed with the hire after the NHLPA requested the probe once reports of the Oilers' interest became public.

Babcock replaces Kris Knoblauch, who was dismissed following a first-round playoff loss to Anaheim. While Babcock's coaching record includes a Stanley Cup title with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and extensive international success, his methods have drawn scrutiny over the years, with former players in both Detroit and Toronto publicly criticizing his approach to managing the locker room.

With a limited pool of available coaching candidates and an urgent need to compete for a championship, the Oilers have bet on a pairing that has worked together before. Smith's recent experience as both an assistant and interim head coach, combined with his junior hockey pedigree, adds depth to a staff that will be tasked with getting the most out of one of the most talented rosters in the NHL. The club formally introduced Babcock at a press conference on Tuesday, and attention now turns to how this coaching group will prepare for the 2026-27 season.