The writing was on the wall.
Reports this morning indicate that the Edmonton Oilers have officially fired head coach Kris Knoblauch.
An expected decision
This past season was a rocky one for the Oilers. Far from the elite team that went to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, this edition was, in Connor McDavid’s words: average.
Knoblauch was publicly called out by both McDavid and Leon Draisaitl at points in the year, pointing to strife between the coach and his stars. Rumours also surfaced recently that Knoblauch did not see eye to eye with management, and some of the head-scratching lineup decisions he made may have been to spite the front office.
After it was reported that the Oilers asked the Vegas Golden Knights for permission to speak with their recently fired coach Bruce Cassidy, the cat was out of the bag. Knoblauch hadn’t been fired at that point, but the Oilers were actively looking at other coaches and failed to do that in private.
It was only a matter of time before Knoblauch was shown the door.
What a run
Knoblauch leaves with a very successful record over his tenure with the Oilers at 135-77-21 and two Stanley Cup Finals appearances. He won’t get to coach a single game for the Oilers on his brand new three-year contract extension that kicks in next season.
