Some extra news coming out of the press conference on Tuesday, which saw the Edmonton Oilers introduce Mike Babcock as the 19th head coach in franchise history.

But an interesting new nugget came out after when Oilers general manager Stan Bowman revealed that assistant coach Paul Coffey wouldn’t return to the bench for the 2026-27 season.

Bowman didn’t go into detail on why Coffey won’t be back on the coaching staff next fall, or if it had anything to do with the hiring of Babcock. It was a short return to the bench for the Hockey Hall of Famer. He was originally added as an assistant coach during the 2023-24 season, with the hiring of Kris Knoblauch. However, after the 2024-25 campaign, Coffey stepped away, returning to his role as special advisor to team owner Daryl Katz.

However, halfway through last season, Coffey returned to the bench as the team looked for some guidance for a struggling defencive core. The move helped a little, as Edmonton managed to finish second in a relatively weak Pacific Division. The Oilers were ultimately eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks.

With Babcock being on the job for mere hours, there is no inclination of who could be joining his staff in Edmonton.

Among other topics discussed, Bowman was also asked where the team was on trade talks with defenceman Darnell Nurse. Bowman stated that he had no update.

Nurse made headlines for requesting a trade from the only team he has ever known a couple of weeks ago. With a full no-move clause, the Hamilton, Ont. native provided the Oilers with a list of 3-5 teams that he’d be interested in joining. This is far from the first time Nurse’s name has come up in trade conversations, as the team reportedly asked him to waive his NMC last summer.

Nurse has been with the Oilers since he was taken in the first round, seventh overall, of the 2013 NHL Draft. He has played with the team on a full-time basis for the last 11 years, helping the team reach heights it hadn’t seen in two decades. In 798 regular-season games, he has scored 88 goals and 236 assists for 324 points, with another 29 points in 100 postseason contests.

Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor reported Tuesday afternoon that the Oilers are “in a waiting period,” with new associate coach D.J. Smith speaking highly of Nurse from the time they shared at the 2026 IIHF World Championships.

After coming painfully close last year, Tyler Yaremchuk is stepping back onto the tee box for another shot at glory. On July 13th, Tyler’s Ace Race – The Revenge Tour – presented by bet365 returns to Cattail Crossing Golf Club, where Tyler will attempt to hit a hole-in-one over the course of a 24-hour live stream. The entire challenge will be broadcast live on YouTube as Tyler battles fatigue, pressure, and his own golf swing in pursuit of the elusive ace. Don’t miss out, this is going to be quite a show.