Mike Babcock investigation surfaces NHL player's name no one expected before free agency

Andy Strickland reported Monday that the NHL's ongoing probe into Mike Babcock includes a situation involving Patrik Laine.

Strickland added that with the Stanley Cup Final now concluded, a resolution between Babcock and the Edmonton Oilers is approaching.

The timing matters beyond the Babcock story alone. Laine is one of the most discussed names in the upcoming free agent class - teams including the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, and New Jersey Devils have been connected to him - and his name is now publicly attached to a formal NHL investigation.

When Babcock resigned from the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2023, both the NHL and NHLPA had launched formal inquiries.

Those investigations were dropped the moment he stepped down, before any findings were made public.

Laine was on that Columbus roster during Babcock's brief tenure, and he requested a trade shortly after - a move the organization honored by sending him to the Montreal Canadiens in 2024.

The NHL only restarted its inquiry because Edmonton wants to hire Babcock as its next head coach.

That decision forced the league to complete what Babcock's resignation allowed everyone to quietly shelve three years ago.

Laine is entering free agency after playing just five games in 2025-26 due to injury. Teams were already approaching him cautiously on that basis alone, with Pierre LeBrun reporting interest centered on low-risk, restructured deal structures.

His name appearing in a formal NHL inquiry - regardless of what the investigation concludes - becomes context every interested front office will factor in.

Agents are already signaling discomfort with the idea of their players landing in Edmonton under Babcock, and that concern now extends beyond one city's locker room.