Edmonton Oilers will continue to be turned down in free agency after latest report

Jason Gregor shared a text from an NHL player agent that should concern Stan Bowman more than any investigation timeline.

The agent's message was direct.

The agent told Gregor that playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl becomes a less attractive proposition when Babcock is the potential coach.

Multiple clients raised it without being asked.

That is a free agency problem, not just a legal one. The NHL investigation will run its course, and early reporting suggests Babcock is likely to be cleared - but cleared does not mean forgotten.

July 1 free agency is set to open while this investigation is still forming conclusions.

Agents are already advising clients, and players are already talking.

The Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch after a first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks and turned to Babcock as a veteran presence to steady the room.

Peter Laviolette, another viable candidate, signed with the Los Angeles Kings last Monday, and Bruce Cassidy remains blocked by the Vegas Golden Knights.

Stan Bowman's options are thinning fast. An investigation delay could push the hire deep into summer, meaning Edmonton recruits with no confirmed bench boss and a perception problem already forming in agent conversations.

Every contender sells its star player to free agents, and Edmonton's version of that pitch is the most powerful in the league.

But pitches require a willing audience.

When agents are hearing concern from multiple clients before a hire is even confirmed, the pitch works against a headwind.

A coaching concern that has been professionally documented is not easily dismissed by star power alone.

The investigation's outcome matters, and Babcock may ultimately coach in Edmonton.

What happens in free agent conversations between now and that decision may shape the team McDavid is playing for next season.