After the Edmonton Oilers, who were expected to be a Stanley Cup contender, dropped ten of their first thirteen games, Jay Woodcroft was fired as head coach.
After the team’s road journey concluded on Saturday night with a 4-1 victory at Seattle, Woodcroft was fired on Sunday. Following a four-game losing skid, which included an ugly 3-2 loss at home to the NHL’s worst team, the San Jose Sharks, earlier in the week, Woodcroft’s career was not saved by that victory.
Manson was fired, and Kris Knoblauch,vid Da’s junior hockey coach, was appointed as Woodcroft’s replacement. Hall of Famer Paul Coffey also joins his nnor MCocteam as an assistant. In 15 seasons, Knoblauch is the organization’s tenth and fifth coach.
We’re not pleased where we are,” Woodcroft remarked. “We are all its owners. I’m concentrating on how we can improve.
Under Woodcroft, who was relieved of his duties in February 2022 after Dave Tippett was sacked, the Oilers had become disengaged. They were losing due of a mix of league-worst goaltending, poor defense, and a lack of accountability, even though they had the reigning MVP in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
“I’m not sure what to say,” Draisaitl murmured on Thursday evening. “We probably constantly out-chance other teams and outshoot them in shots on goal. Not in time at the moment.
With a combined save percentage of.866, goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell—the latter of whom was dismissed and sent to the minors earlier this week—rank 32nd out of 32 clubs. Edmonton is only above of San Jose in the rankings with seven points, having let up almost four goals per game at 3-9-1.
The player with the longest contract on the team, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, stated, “We can’t really be looking at the standings right now.” “It feels a little different just because the season is starting. But as a team, we remain unchanged from the beginning. It
Even weirder? McDavid — whose 153 points last season were the most of any player since 1995-96 — was held off the scoresheet against the the past two games. McDavid did miss time last month with an undisclosed upper-body injury but still has 10 points in 10 games, while Draisaitl leads the team with 15. Still, only six teams have averaged fewer goals than the Oilers’ 2.69. This was seen as the season for the Oilers to get over the hump in the playoffs and win the franchise’s first championship since 1990. Instead, the brutal start has significantly hampered their chances of making it.
Before training camp began, Draisaitl stated, “We’re definitely not far away. I certainly feel that way. I think we all do. I think the entire league feels that way about us.” General manager Ken Holland also expressed a strong desire to win in the final year of his contract, and now that Edmonton is having problems all over the ice, the veteran executive’s roster construction is being closely scrutinized.s
