For a relatively brief moment of time the Edmonton Oilers do not have a head coach. With a bitter end to the season fading through the stages of grief, the hiring of a new coach will harken a new outlook. It is time to start recalibrating, regrouping, and redoubling efforts on the season ahead.
While coaching is only a piece of the championship puzzle, it is a crucial piece. In some ways the clock is already ticking when it comes to formulating offseason ambitions. There are rumoured favourites for the position, one of the few still open in the league. With championship aspirations the Oilers coaching will bring opportunity and pressure. For now, Oil Country ponders what exactly the team needs to meet its goal.
Coaching was just not working for the Oilers
It helps to establish how it came to this point. After the decade of darkness saw several high profile coaches come and go, and the Connor McDavid era was fully underway, the Oilers were still fighting to qualify for the playoffs on a consistent basis. The weight seemed to be crushing the team despite Dave Tippett’s efforts when Jay Woodcroft took over.
It was a bold move, an inexperienced coach for a frustrated team. While it paid off, and the Oilers finally became postseason regulars, it was short lived, though. During one of the team’s slow starts, both prior and since, Kris Knoblauch took the reins. This came after McDavid’s former agent, Jeff Jackson, became Oilers president. As McDavid’s junior coach there were certainly some raised eyebrows when Knoblauch was named.
While inexperienced as an NHL head coach, Knoblauch brought the Oilers to a new height. He was highly regarded for his work in the AHL. Here at the end of the road there are frustrations—after all, Knoblauch was fired for a reason. Twice the Oilers have gone with less heralded options behind the bench. Twice it has paid off as well.
There is talk of Woodcroft having a chance at another head coaching job, just as there will be for Knoblauch at some point. To some extent they might get less credit than coaches of a similar resume might garner. The pressure that having McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the lineup brings can be harsh, and the credit of their teammates and coaches can be dimmed as well.
What is needed of the next coach
Perhaps not much weight should be given to postgame scrums, but there did seem to be a theme from comments both McDavid and Draisaitl made. At the very least there seems to be an appetite for detailed tactical adjustments. Woodcroft was rumoured to have gone too far, changing defensive systems and leaving the team looking lost. The takeaway might be that the leadership has intent and energy, enough to embrace a new challenge. Bruce Cassidy and Craig Berube both come to mind, with stern reputations.
Cassidy’s reputation is as a tactician. Berube has said his approach places more focus on mental state than X’s and O’s. McDavid would have some read on Cassidy, who was one of Canada’s coaches and the 4 Nations Face-off and the Olympics.
Both coaches have won Stanley Cups. Unlike Woodcroft and Knoblauch they are high profile options. Though this seal of approval might seem like a good thing, during the modern era only Scotty Bowman has coached two different franchises to Stanley Cups. This does not mean that teams should never hire past winners, but it speaks to how hard it is to win.
At the very least, fans should not fear another more creative hire. Cassidy does seem aligned with a lot of things the Oilers are looking for, and has seen major success with two organizations now. Still, if the team elects to go elsewhere fans should not be disappointed.
What issues the coach will need to address
There are several key issues that the new coach will have to address. Roster construction will be a big piece of the equation, but new solutions and new paradigms must be established either way.
There have been many discussions about a lack of roles and definition lower in the lineup. McDavid and Draisaitl command a lot of space, and balancing the good of the team can be precarious. The Oilers will need to find more players to trust, or rather, must trust in more players. There is a power vacuum with every coaching change, a chance for a new structure to the lineup. At a relative low point, that is exactly what the Oilers need as well.
Forwards
The long tenure of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman alongside McDavid showed signs of ending last season, and their spots on the power play might be affected too. The Oilers have a glut of young NHLers coming into their own as well.
In some ways, this young group of forwards is GM Stan Bowman’s gamble. Matthew Savoie, Vasily Podkolzin, Isaac Howard, and Josh Samanski are pushing their way up the lineup already. Unlocking the true potential of this forward group will require empowering and entrusting these younger players.
Defence
On the back end, the Oilers might be tempted to change less. Granted there are rumours of a future trade, but coach after coach has used Darnell Nurse as the shutdown option. While his cap hit has not been ideal, fans too eager to trade him away should consider how Tippett, Woodcroft, and Knoblauch have all come to the same conclusion.
No doubt Paul Coffey will have a lot of opinions and insights on the blueline in any interviews the Oilers conduct. If Nurse is gone the Oilers will need to sort out their pairings, and mostly identify a duo that can handle tough defensive usage.
Goalies
Another area in flux, there are many directions the Oilers might go in the crease. Might it be the same duo that ended last season? Or perhaps two new goalies?
Regardless, the Oilers next coach will have to find solutions that elevate the team. How games are divided between their tandem, or whether the veterans or younger players are given trust will be paramount.
Ideally the Oilers are much more organized next season and are able to control play more often. A better control of play, and particularly a better defensive effort, will help whichever goalies start for the team.
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