NHL insiders have mentioned that the Edmonton Oilers might be thinking about a coaching change soon after losing to the Calgary Flames.
Knoblauch and the coaching team for the Oilers have been under a lot of pressure this week because several problems with the team have reached a breaking point. The defense isn’t performing as well as they should, the penalty kill is really bad, and the players who aren’t part of the main team can’t find their place.
Multiple insiders say the Oilers coaching staff might be in trouble. On the latest episode of the Barn Burner Podcast, TSN insider Darren Dreger said that Coach Knoblauch is facing more questions about his job safety.
I believe the pressure on Knoblauch will increase from now on.
There’s been talk about it, but I’m not claiming a change is definitely happening. However, considering the break and how the Oilers are doing in the standings, I think this chatter will grow.
– Darren Dreger
During the radio broadcast, insider Bob Stauffer suggested that tonight’s game could be more important than most people think and strongly criticized how the Oilers set up their penalty kill.
With these problems becoming serious, one coaching change that might help is replacing coach Mark Stuart. He is responsible for the defense and penalty kill, and those areas are struggling.
With Leon Draisaitl now pointing out issues with the coaching staff, there might be even more pressure to make changes.
It is interesting to note that Coach Knoblauch wasn’t hired by the current general manager, Stan Bowman. NHL general managers often prefer to work with coaches they hired instead of keeping the current ones.
Knoblauch has a solid record with his playoff achievements in the last two years and is about to sign a new contract, so he is likely safe for now. However, if everything falls apart during the playoffs, all bets are off.
In any case, the Oilers coaching staff is now officially under scrutiny. Changes need to happen, or adjustments will be made.
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