Edmonton Oilers Fire Jay Woodcroft, Hire Kris Knoblauch
Despite a convincing victory last night, the Edmonton Oilers are making a surprising coaching move. They are expected to relieve head coach Jay Woodcroft of his duties, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, Hartford Wolf Pack head coach Kris Knoblauch will be named the next Oilers head coach.
The Oilers have now officially announced the moves, alongside one more change: Dave Manson is out as an assistant coach for the team, and legendary former Oilers blueliner Paul Coffey has been hired as an assistant coach in Manson’s place. Coffey was previously a senior advisor to the club.
A Zach Hyman hat trick lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken last night, though the team still sits second to last in the NHL with a 3-9-1 record. In a Stanley Cup-or-bust season, The Oilers atrociously bad start to the season—highlighted by the team’s dispiriting loss to fellow basement-dwellers, the San Jose Sharks— has now cost Woodcroft his job.
Per the Edmonton Sun’s Terry Jones, this move will be the fifth head coaching change of the Connor McDavid/Leon Draisaitl partnership. Of all the coaches to man the bench for McDavid and Draisaitl, its Woodcroft who has arguably had the most success.
Woodcroft rose from Bakersfield Condors bench boss to the big job in Edmonton, and posted a .643 points percentage across 133 games. That’s the highest in Oilers history, above even the .616 mark posted by legendary coach Glen Sather.
Woodcroft took the Oilers to the Western Conference Final in 2022, where they would fall to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. He lost to the eventual champions once again in 2023, dropping a hard-fought battle with the Vegas Golden Knights.
But with their season on life support, the Oilers needed to make changes in order to resurrect their Stanley Cup hopes. With no cap space to make trades, the easiest path to major change in Edmonton was via a coaching change, and the Oilers have now taken that route.
This is an attractive job due to the presence of the best player in the world on their roster, but there are some issues here. After this season, Draisaitl will have just one year remaining on his contract. If the Oilers fall well short of the playoffs this season, Draisaitl could reasonably question whether he’ll be able to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton should he commit what is likely to be the rest of his prime years to the franchise.
McDavid has an extra year on his contract, so there will naturally be questions regarding his future as well, though the hire of his former agent Jeff Jackson as the team’s CEO of hockey operations position makes it more likely he’ll eventually reach a deal on a contract extension.
Those questions are all for the offseason and beyond, though. The Oilers have a more immediate problem to wrestle with: how are they going to revive their playoff chances in a season where they were viewed by many as a true Stanley Cup contender? Now with Woodcroft out, it appears the Oilers believe the first step to answering that question is a coaching change.
The choice of the next Oilers coach appears to be at least somewhat McDavid-oriented. Knoblauch was McDavid’s coach in the OHL with the Erie Otters, and he won an OHL title with the team in 2016-17. A two-time championship-winning coach in the CHL, Knoblauch, 45, is in his fifth season as the bench boss of the Wolf Pack.
He led the team on a run to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs last season, upsetting the favored Providence Bruins along the way. He leaves Hartford this season with a 7-3-1 record.
The New York Post’s Mollie Walker reports that Wolf Pack assistant coach Steve Smith will take up head coaching duties in the immediate term, although the search for the team’s next head coach will “begin immediately.” Smith is actually a former Oilers coach himself, having served as an assistant on three separate coaching staffs from 2010 to 2014.
Knoblauch hasn’t been an NHL head coach before, save for a short stint during the pandemic when health-related absences put him behind the Rangers’ bench due to necessity. But despite his lack of NHL experience, he was viewed as a contender for the Rangers’ vacancy before they hired Peter Laviolette. Now, he gets his first shot behind an NHL bench with some former players on his roster and an immediate, pressing task ahead: save the Oilers season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Oilers Notes: Goaltending, Bourgault, Coaching
Edmonton’s goaltending situation certainly hasn’t been good this season with Stuart Skinner and now-demoted Jack Campbell combining for a 4.10 GAA and a .862 SV%, a big reason why the Oilers are now tied with San Jose for last in the NHL. Accordingly, there has been an expectation that a move will be made to shore up their netminders. In a recent 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed that there were some in the league who thought Edmonton was nearing a deal to do just that on Wednesday. Clearly, that hasn’t come to fruition (yet, at least) but it would appear as if GM Ken Holland is trying to get something done on that front. But with the team in a money-in, money-out situation to stay cap-compliant, it’ll be easier said than done.
More from Edmonton:
- Speaking today on TSN 690 (audio link), TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that prospect Xavier Bourgault is “a piece the Canadiens have coveted for a while”. The 21-year-old was the 22nd pick back in 2021 and is in his second season with AHL Bakersfield. A strong scorer in junior, Bourgault had a decent rookie campaign with 34 points in 62 games last season while he has four in seven contests so far this year. Montreal is one of the teams still carrying three goalies although Jake Allen might not work in their salary structure, extension talks have started with Samuel Montembeault, and Cayden Primeau isn’t the proven solution between the pipes that Edmonton should be looking for.
- TSN’s Ryan Rishaug relayed earlier today (Twitter link) that nothing was imminent with regards to possible coaching change. Jay Woodcroft is only in his second full season with the team and even with the ugly start this season, his teams have played to a .640 point percentage. Postmedia’s Robert Tychkowski notes that a change, if one is made, would give them their fifth bench boss in eight years with a good chunk of the core there for all of those moves. As a result, while making a move behind the bench might be the easiest lever to pull, recent history would suggest that it might not change a whole lot.
Hamblin's Recall No Longer Cap-Exempt
- PuckPedia notes (Twitter link) that the Oilers have converted forward James Hamblin’s emergency exception recall into a regular one. When they sent Jack Campbell and down and recalled Calvin Pickard earlier today, Edmonton had enough cap space to fit Hamblin into its cap structure, meaning they were no longer eligible for the cap exemption he was recalled with. The 24-year-old logged nearly 11 minutes in his season debut back on Monday.
Edmonton Oilers Place Jack Campbell On Waivers, Recall Calvin Pickard
Nov. 8: As expected, Campbell has cleared waivers, and Pickard has been recalled from AHL Bakersfield, per the team’s Twitter/X account.
Nov. 7: In a surprising announcement, the Edmonton Oilers have placed goaltender Jack Campbell on waivers today, for the purpose of assignment. With plenty of changes seemingly coming to the Oilers after a horrific start to the year, Edmonton has decided to expose Campbell and the $20MM remaining on his contract to the rest of the league.
Back during the 2021-22 regular season, the Oilers ran with a duo of Mikko Koskinen and Mike Smith throughout the year, a duo who led the team to the Western Conference Finals before ultimately being swept at the hands of the Colorado Avalanche. In an attempt to dramatically improve their goaltending, Edmonton inked Campbell to a five-year, $25MM contract, prying him away from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
However, the investment has not gone accordingly for either side of the deal. In his first year as an Oiler, Campbell maintained a solid 21-9-4 record in 34 starts but also carried a .888 SV% and a 3.41 GAA. Ultimately, Campbell was replaced in the crease by rookie netminder, Stuart Skinner, who held a .913 SV% and a 2.75 GAA in 48 starts, comparatively. Nevertheless, Campbell was able to get in four starts during the 2022-23 NHL playoffs, posting dramatically improved numbers with a .961 SV% and a 1.01 GAA.
If there was any hope of Campbell carrying his playoff performance in this year’s regular season, that hope has quickly evaporated. In five starts on the year up to this point, Campbell has a 1-4-0 record, coupled with a .873 SV% and a 4.50 GAA. Although not the entire reason, the lack of adequate goaltending is a substantial factor in the Oilers’ ugly 2-8-1 record to start the 2023-24 season.
In the meantime, as it would be more than reasonable to assume Campbell will go unclaimed on waivers over the next 24 hours, PuckPedia reports that Edmonton will save approximately $1.15MM once Campbell clears and is sent down. Furthermore, Frank Seravalli of the DailyFaceoff indicates that the Oilers plan on replacing Campbell with Calvin Pickard, who is currently serving as the primary starter of the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. If the team does call up Pickard, PuckPedia reports that Edmonton will only be saving approximately $388K with the move.
Although Pickard should not be seen as a long-term answer in the net, he ultimately may serve as an upgrade to both Edmonton goaltenders. Similarly to Campbell, Skinner has gotten off to an incredibly slow start with a 1-4-1 record, .856 SV%, and a 3.99 GAA. Pickard, on the other hand, holds a 2-2-0 record for the Condors so far this season, with a .939 SV% and a 2.03 GAA.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was the first to report that the Oilers were placing Campbell on waivers.
Edmonton Could Move First Round Pick To Add Roster Pieces
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently shared that the Edmonton Oilers could be interested in moving their 2024 First Round pick if it means getting their season back on track. TSN’s Darren Dreger added that Edmonton could be looking for a blockbuster deal that would allow them to address multiple needs at once – a deal that would almost certainly require a high-value pick.
This news isn’t surprising. Edmonton currently holds a 2-8-1 record, recording the fifth-fewest goals scored and the third-most goals allowed through the early season. They’re getting little scoring from their depth, with three different forwards appearing in all of the team’s 11 games and failing to score more than one point. And, most notably, they’ve received some of the worst goaltending in the league, with both Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell carrying save percentages below .875. This led the Oilers to waive Campbell on Tuesday, assigning him to the AHL and recalling minor-league veteran Calvin Pickard. It’s been a disaster to start the season, but dangling a First Round pick in a draft as lucrative as 2024 could be enough to turn the tide.
Oilers Recall James Hamblin On Emergency Basis
When Connor Brown wasn’t able to play on Saturday, the Oilers were forced to play short a player. In doing so, they created a short-term cap-exempt emergency recall. The team announced that the recall has been used on James Hamblin who has been promoted from AHL Bakersfield.
The 24-year-old made his NHL debut last season with Edmonton, getting into ten games with the big club. He was held without a point but recorded a dozen shots on goal while averaging just under nine minutes per game. He spent most of last season in the minors where he had 10 goals and 18 assists in 52 games with the Condors. This season, Hamblin is off to a good start with two goals and three helpers in six contests, helping him earn this promotion.
Hamblin is in the final season of a two-year, entry-level contract which carries a cap hit of $807.5K. The AAV being that low permitted him to be the recall; teams are limited to bringing up a player making no more than $100K above the league minimum salary ($775K this year) when using a cap-exempt promotion. Once Brown or Mattias Janmark return from their respective injuries, Hamblin will need to be returned to Bakersfield.
Connor Brown Is Day-To-Day, Oilers Play Short A Player Against Nashville
Oilers winger Connor Brown took the pregame today but play-by-play voice Jack Michaels relayed (Twitter link) that he wound up being a late scratch. He’s officially listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Edmonton doesn’t have enough cap space to carry an extra forward so they played today’s game against Nashville short a player. Accordingly, it makes them eligible for an emergency cap-exempt recall of a forward making $875K or less should Brown still be unable to play on Monday against Vancouver.
It’s worth mentioning that when Brown does suit up for his next game, he will receive a $3.25MM bonus as part of the contract he signed with Edmonton this summer, one that guaranteed him just the NHL minimum. Any amount of that bonus that the Oilers can’t absorb on their books this season would be treated as a carryover penalty and would count against their 2024-25 cap charges.
Edmonton Oilers Recall Raphael Lavoie
The Edmonton Oilers have announced they have recalled forward Raphael Lavoie from their AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Although not confirmed, it is likely due to the apparent injury to forward Connor Brown in last night’s game against the Dallas Stars, causing him to leave the rest of the game in the second period.
In what will only be the second callup of his young career, Lavoie has been one of the better-performing members of the Condors over the last several seasons. A second-round pick by the Oilers in the 2019 NHL Draft, Lavoie has amassed a total of 141 games for Bakersfield, scoring 47 goals and 41 assists.
Given that the team only has 12 forwards on their active roster, if Brown is unable to play tomorrow against the Nashville Predators, Lavoie will be guaranteed to make his NHL debut. In all honesty, it may not be the worst idea in the world for the Oilers to add a different player to their bottom six, as the current group at the bottom of the forward core has yet to deliver in any meaningful way to start the season.
With a large frame and a more-than-ready NHL shot, Lavoie could have some staying power with Edmonton for much of the season. However, his foot speed leaves a lot to be desired, and he has appeared to take a handful of games off with Bakersfield over the last several years.
Oilers Loan Philip Broberg To Minors
The Edmonton Oilers have assigned defenseman Philip Broberg to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, per a team announcement issued Friday.
Broberg has played limited minutes this season, skating in eight games and averaging just 11:12 per game. He’s been held off the scoresheet entirely and has a -1 rating.
However, this isn’t necessarily a performance-based demotion. The Oilers are now without Connor Brown for tomorrow’s game against Nashville as he deals with an undisclosed injury, meaning they’ll need to recall a forward for Saturday’s contest. That won’t solve all their issues, however. The Oilers do not have cap space for two recalls after assigning Broberg to the minors, only one – meaning they’ll still likely roll with 11 forwards and six defenders against the Predators and play a skater short. Assigning Broberg to the minors allows them to carry a more traditional lineup than dressing only ten forwards and seven defensemen.
It’s another bump in the road for the Oilers, who have struggled mightily this season and sit sixth in the Pacific Division with a 2-6-1 record and just five points. They’re receiving poor goaltending from Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner and receiving little to no depth scoring, with a handful of players in their bottom six still without a point on the season. They did receive a boost last night from Sam Gagner, however, who notched two goals in his first game in his third stint as an Oiler last night against Dallas. Gagner is projected to slide into the top six against Nashville on a line with Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
Broberg, in the meantime, will get some reps in the minors with Bakersfield and play heavier minutes. This assignment will likely last until one or both of the Oilers’ injured forwards, Brown and Mattias Janmark, are ready to return to game action.
Evening Notes: Oilers, Faksa, Fabbri
Sam Gagner’s contract with the Edmonton Oilers has officially been registered today and the 34-year-old was called up by the team to their NHL roster (CapFriendly). The move coincided with winger Adam Erne clearing waivers and being assigned to the club’s AHL affiliate the Bakersfield Condors. Gagner will begin his third stint with the Oilers after missing the end of last season and training camp with a hip injury.
The former sixth overall pick played three AHL games last week picking up a goal and four assists while driving a lot of the offense for the Condors. The Oilers will be looking for him to provide depth scoring for a lineup that has appeared top-heavy this season. Gagner has been a solid offensive contributor throughout his career despite bouncing around the league to seven different teams during his 16-year NHL career.
For Erne, he returns to the AHL after going scoreless in six games for the Oilers this season. The 28-year-old split last season between the NHL and AHL in the Detroit Red Wings organization. He posted five points in nine AHL games last season while registering eight goals and 10 assists in 61 NHL games.
In other evening notes:
- Dallas Stars radio analyst Bruce LeVine is reporting that Stars forward Radek Faksa will miss tonight’s game with what is being described as an upper-body injury. Faksa skated with the team yesterday before leaving on their road trip and by all accounts seemed fine. No word yet on what has changed between then and now or any specifics on the ailment. Faksa is off to a slow start offensively this season with no points in seven games, however the Stars are off to a torrid 5-1-1 start thanks in part to Faksa’s penalty killing and defensive acumen.
- Detroit Hockey Now writer Kevin Allen is reporting that Robby Fabbri of the Detroit Red Wings returned to practice today and could be coming off the injured reserve sooner rather than later. Fabbri is ahead of schedule according to Allen but will still miss the Red Wings next two games. The 27-year-old has dressed in just a single game this season and has one goal thus far. He has been sidelined with a lower-body issue but could return next week against the New York Rangers or Montreal Canadiens.