{"id":507247,"date":"2026-03-01T11:25:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T11:25:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/507247\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T11:25:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T11:25:14","slug":"is-knoblauch-out-and-coffey-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/507247\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Knoblauch Out and Coffey In?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a feeling around the Edmonton Oilers right now that something\u2019s about to give. The Oilers\u2019 loss to the San Jose Sharks last night \u2014 5\u20134 \u2014 felt like d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu all over again. It\u2019s the same building where Jay Woodcroft essentially knew his time was up<\/a>. Combine that with the internal noise that\u2019s been simmering, and it\u2019s hard not to sense the ground shifting once more.<\/p>\n

Three Possible Moves for the Oilers<\/p>\n

Three possibilities seem to be floating around right now.<\/p>\n

Possibility One: Kris Knoblauch gets the axe. <\/p>\n

The timing is eerie, the defensive breakdowns are glaring (the team probably gave up tons of Grade-A looks again), and the team just isn\u2019t playing with any cohesion. Knoblauch\u2019s been given a lot of rope, but if the results don\u2019t turn soon, the organization has a history of pulling the trigger fast \u2014 even on coaches who\u2019ve had success.<\/p>\n

\"PaulPaul Coffey and Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers.<\/p>\n

Possibility Two: Paul Coffey steps in behind the bench. <\/p>\n

Paul Coffey suddenly being back behind the bench didn\u2019t look like Knoblauch\u2019s call. Over the years, he was there, then gone, now suddenly back. If Knoblauch\u2019s job is shaky, elevating Coffey (who\u2019s already in the building as an advisor) would be the cleanest internal shift. It\u2019s happened before in Edmonton \u2014 change the voice without a full housecleaning.<\/p>\n

Possibility Three: Stan Bowman takes the fall, and the coaches stay. <\/p>\n

Maybe the problem isn\u2019t the bench \u2014 maybe it\u2019s the guy who built the roster. Bowman\u2019s track record gets questioned: signing Andrew Mangiapane, bringing in Trent Frederic, and Tristan Jarry as the \u201csomething different.\u201d It has been different enough, but not in a good way. <\/p>\n

If the owner Daryl Katz is pulling strings (and it sure feels like someone is), firing the GM while keeping Knoblauch and staff might be the move to shake things up without another coaching carousel. But, that\u2019s not usually the way this will happen. <\/p>\n

Leon Draisaitl Keeps Singing the Same Tune<\/p>\n

Draisaitl\u2019s postgame comments keep hammering the same note: \u201cWe let too many goals in.\u201d The goalie they happily moved to grab Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins (Stuart Skinner) is trending upward. But the structure\u2019s broken in Edmonton. <\/p>\n

The Oilers aren\u2019t tanking, but they\u2019re not clicking either. Oilers\u2019 insider Bob Stauffer\u2019s teasing that something big and internal is coming doesn\u2019t help calm the nerves.<\/p>\n

The Oilers\u2019 Bottom Line<\/p>\n

Edmonton\u2019s at a tipping point. Our best guess is that someone\u2019s likely going \u2014 likely Knoblauch. And the San Jose loss might have been the final nudge. The only question is who pulls the trigger, and how deep the change goes. Right now, it feels like the waiting is almost over.<\/p>\n

[I want to thank Brent Bradford for his insights for this post.]<\/p>\n

Related: Insider Shuts Down Adam Henrique Trade Rumour as Deadline Nears<\/a><\/p>\n

\tDiscover more from NHL Trade Talk<\/p>\n

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