This is Ziggy, over a decade ago. She was still a puppy. She still has that hedgehog, I have stitched it together a hundred times. My little buddy is older now, we’re walking slower and sleeping more. Dogs are family. Ziggy is my dear friend. Please read this.
I remember the day we got her. Went to the pet store, bought that hedgehog, some other toys, dog food, a crate and a bed to put inside the crate, and went home. The crate plus bed had a cost attached, and represents a waste of money. She never slept in her crate in the basement. She cried and barked and cried some more, until someone (not me!) couldn’t take it anymore. Ziggy has slept on the bed all the days since the first day. The dog training worked well, she had the entire house trained within a week, and has lived as a queen all her life. I wouldn’t change a thing.
If the Oilers bring in a new coach, things will change. They always do. I think the players who could be negatively impacted are young and not yet established as NHLers. I’m not talking about Vasily Podkolzin or Matt Savoie, but am talking (at least a little) about Ike Howard and Spencer Stastney, and certainly about Quinn Hutston and Connor Clattenburg.
Howard is an impressive prospect who improved a great deal over the course of the season. I can see him showing well in training camp and establishing himself as (say) the No. 3 left wing on a line with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins at center. It could be a solid outscoring line, maybe with Kasperi Kapanen. I don’t think the new coach will be married to the idea, and Howard will have to impress right away.
The new coach, if the Oilers replace Kris Knoblauch, may well handle Howard the same way as Knoblauch did one year ago. Howard would have lost all of the rapport he established with Knoblauch and would be forced to start all over again with the new man.
There will be danger too, you can lose a player to waivers (Howard won’t be eligible) in these circumstances. Edmonton damn near lost Brandon Davidson to waivers in the fall of 2015, about the time that photo of Ziggy was taken.
You and I know Quinn Hutson far better than we know Owen Michaels, but a new coach will be introduced to them in the fall. They will be equal, despite the season Hutson just delivered.
Two-way players, like Savoie and Podkolzin and Josh Samanski, will have an advantage. A new coach, arriving in Edmonton, is going to preach suppression of shots and high-danger chances. I don’t think that would be a deal breaker for Howard, he improved a great deal in Bakersfield over the winter.
However, coaches always value experience over youth. Knoblauch was the same way, but he would have seen Howard’s improvement and would recognize his NHL-readiness based on progress observed.
On the Lowdown today, our feature guest is Kevin McCurdy. We’ll talk Knoblauch, Bruce Cassidy and the Oilers immediate future. Noon to 2pm, Sports 1440 and You Tube.
How would the Edmonton Oilers benefit from a coaching change?
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7272831/2026/05/13/edmonton-oilers-coaching-change-kris-knoblauch-bruce-cassidy/
They clearly would, but they would benefit as equally with a change in management, post a thorough search that is. But that isn’t in the cards so time to move on from that. Isn’t it a forgone conclusion that Knoblauch is out, there’s no coming back from this cluster…..even if they buy Knoblauch a good strong coffee. Class acts those in the executive suite
Even Chayka got this right … gave Berube his flowers at the initial presser, then let him go in a dignified manner a week later … even though they probably had zero intention of keeping him.
Bowman/Jackson continues to stumble and bumble around.
Just going to stur up the Bee’s nest here. What if Darryl Sutter was to coach the Edmonton Oilers next season. Post game interviews would shine
In the last 20 years only 5 NHL coaches have been to back to back SCF
Babcock, Sullivan, Cooper, Maurice, KK
in the last 20 years only 2 NHL coaches have been to back to back to back SCF
Maurice and Cooper
—————
Why is Cassidy soooo much better than our current coach? Why would we not fix the assistant coaches vs the head coach and in some way not have to start all over again.
Are we the child with three toys and only two hands?
Laviolette would play Howard in his proper role, Laviolette would line match, Laviolette Oilers would be coached to score 4 goals a game, every game.
Quadruple down on offense, tempo, pressure.
Do it, Stan.
If you didn’t like KK’s breakouts being overly reliant on the stretch pass, you’ll hate Laviolette. If you don’t like the Oilers being too much on the perimeter, you won’t like Lavi’s offense much better.
Those were the two biggest complaints from his time in Nashville and his time with the Rangers.
If you think Cassidy has a short shelf life, Laviolette’s is even shorter.
Just saying.
Cassidy seems very savvy with tactics. Like in how Marchessault described how they broke down the Oilers D structure when they won. The Vegas team we did beat wasn’t like the one they lost to
I think the Oilers need a coach like that. Knoblauch seems like a fatalist. Doesn’t line match to gain advantage, doesn’t seem to make tactical adjustments at scale. I don’t think tinkering with lines has much skill to it. Especially when you can’t stop
I agree with much of this take, but it also ignores the tactical changes KK made during the two runs to the Finals. He made changes on the fly that largely paid off, no idea what changed since.
— Does anyone have a strong take on who our head coach next ought to be ?
— Heck Cassidy could be the next Berube.
— They really are going to have to nail the coaching staff (for another post but our entire staff is pretty underwhelming, very little NHL experience save Coffey, and none who are seemingly head coaches in waiting).
— I can’t recall ever having so much trepidation worrying about who the coach is going to be.
Colin Chaulk.
… is doing a great job in Bakersfield
Seriously. Todd Nelson.
His record is interesting, winning championships with multiple teams. It would be very risky given where the Oilers are at. They should have kept him back when there was time to grow with the players, like Cooper in Tampa
Cassidy seems to be the shiny object but hiring him toot sweet seems counter to what many, myself included, have been clamoring for: a thorough search
It will be Cassidy, but I still really like Laviolette. Was in the 3rd round in ‘24, took a .545 win % flyers team to the finals in 2010 and the same with a .573 Preds team in ‘17.
also seems like a guy players would want to go to battle for, based on everything in HBO 24/7 from the mid 2010s. Great personality
Not sure how accurate that is — a lot of what I’ve come across suggests he’s cut from the Keenan/Tortorella cloth. Except Torts has acknowledged he’s needed to round off the edges and adapt to the times to remain relevant, while Laviolette appears to be stuck in the old ways.
Gerard Gallant (health allowing) or Todd Nelson, perhaps in tandem with Nelly set to take over after a season or two.
The way the Oilers have played, and the way they played in the finals (yes I know game 7, also down 3 cob to start) just wasn’t up to snuff. The fact that they didn’t seem to have any adjustments for the second tilt was really disappointing. Offensive numbers are trending down
So I think a change is warranted. The only two I would consider are Cassidy and Laviolette, the interwebs say both are demanding coaches – shelf life – PL apparently also builds relationships. So sort of like KK but with a different and probably better style for these Oilers. Both coach for offense
It also says PL favours vets. If Cassidy is more open minded about just using the best players that is in his favour. We’ve been down the ‘vet experience’ road. I’d also look into who is better at team building in season
Disagree with PL (hat tip to richtm’s assessment above), ambivalent with Cassidy (could see it working to get over the hump, concerned about long term viability).
Todd Nelson (tactics, relationship/role building) and Gerard Gallant (builds to player strengths, team building) seem far better suited for where this team is right now. And they’ve won at levels below but not the Cup. Both have finals appearances, so they’ve been close and have had time to reflect on what it takes to make the final push. Odds vastly favour coaches who haven’t won over those who have.
Hypothetical:
Mcdavid & nurse to utah
Desnoyers, simashev, iginla to Edm
I would do it.
Charlie coyle at 6×6 there’s no feasible way you can likely get the pieces you might need in UFA crop. Then you are gun barrel to head next summer or season is a non stop circus.
There are teamd with open cap to spare and little value to add. I think it’s worth at least shopping concept for intelligent enough management team with maximizing asset value and lomger term competitive mindset
Like paying 10 million for murphy and dickinson and hoping jarry saves you just might not be best bet in proper risk assessment over desperate hope.
Utah likely wouldn’t, they don’t have the cap space.
The Mammoth have just over $14 million available while McDavid and Nurse total $21.75.
Desnoyers, Simashev and Iginla are all on ELC’s totalling about $1.9 million
They could do it if they wanted.
But that’s just looking at fits best prospects thst might make sense in teams that might do it who need game breaker.
Smash seems like perfect potential partner for bouchard.
Then 2 grade A center prospects that combined might make better balsnce team that makes up for loss of best in show.
Like value of package i think that is right type of potential.
I just think it’s crazy if they don’t consider options as next summer they start getting way less.
2 years of spend to cap desperate while imbalanced or retool that avoids wander in desert because you were smart enough to avoid running ship to ground.
.i lrefer latter option. Maximizing asset value
Hypothetically.
It would of been irregardless
I’m so ashamed by you’re enlightened anal retentive grasp’s of written english. Let me bow to you and doth thee “little lords of literacy”
Bask in all your glory.
(Yes i intentionally made that as offensively incorrect as possible…the funny part of this -> you can actually completely understand exactly the intent but soneone in a penal system like education structure taught you how to be less capable of doing that. Conditioned ignorance of a different sort…who wins? The gate keepers and those above them.)
P.s.
Hypothetical as used isn’t even technically incorrect. Like that is embarrasingly smarmy.
Im tired of the pundits today.
“Knoblauch took the Oilers to two finals” – this implies success is heavily weighted on the coach.
This year “the players didn’t perform” – this implies success is heavily weighted on players.
Which is true fellas? You can’t have it both ways.
Maybe “Mattias Janmark took them to two finals”
Exactly. Who took them to two finals is Connor Leon and Evan, full stop. Any decent coach would have as well. Playoff bottom goalie stats both finals runs. A lot of attribution errors out there
Agreed. Connor / Leon / Evan dragged the team to the finals twice.
I think the current coach was “fine”, so not bad enough to undercut Connor / Leon / Evan, but not good enough to help them get over the hump.
We need a coach good enough to help get them over the hump. Quenneville would have been nearly ideal last year (but I also now understand that the timing just didn’t work out).
Is Cassidy the coach who can do it? Don’t know (and don’t know if he’ll pick LA or Toronto instead).
I think the Oilers still retain the pole position. There is no easy path with the Leafs and Kings. Matthews isn’t what he was and seems on the way out, LA lacks top talent. Even if Connor goes the Oilers still have Leon and Evan
Agreed. Not saying KK didn’t do some good things, but it seems like he got the team as far as 97/29/2 could take them. When matched against coaches that could come up with strategies to counter, he did not have a real answer, other than go nuclear.
They just talk, talk, talk….and don’t worry about intellectual honesty or internal consistency
You can’t have it both ways, you need to have it all ways. 2024 was the year.
Year 1: PK and McDrai took them to the finals. Knob also had insane skill/luck in putting the right guy in at the right time to make a difference (Perry, Holloway, Broberg etc.)
year 2: PP and bottom 6 took us to the finals
They’ll have Janmark back next season all fixed up and ready to go in his contract year.
Watch out.
With Berube out in Toronto, I wonder if Vegas will try and steer Cassidy out of the Western Conference.
Cassidy is from Ottawa.
I don’t see how VGK has any say in where Cassidy plays.
Friedman said that, as of late last night, neither the Oilers nor Kings have been given permission to speak with Cassidy.
Why aren’t more people angry at Vegas. Always the pricks.
They replace their guy to get the bump and it works! Regardless of his feelings or the timing. Now they continue to try and influence his future with this mucking around. Unless they intend to reinstate him as he is under contract.
Shutting down the other teams, and making sure they are embarrassed to the point of having to fire the coach, perhaps when they were uncertain, is pure glee for Vegas. Screw Vegas.
If the Oilers did this Gary would have run down to mission control in his PJ’s and re-written the rules in pencil and faxed it to everybody
We both know, there’s always a prick in the room. Always
Often more than one.
ON is reporting that LA has already interviewed Cassidy. Friedman said he’s heard from someone of the same, although the report has not been confirmed.
Wasn’t it reported – per Jon Rosen – that LA has already interviewed Cassidy?
Holland probably had him over for dinner and a movie.
Maple Leafs also in the hunt
Cassidy hit the paydirt when Vegas fired him. Now he’s the ‘one’ hot hire out there with multiple options. If he wants to max out $ he will end up in Toronto, if he wants to win he will end up here. Toronto is a mess, and he might paper them over so they are in the playoff hunt and the Kings are trending down.
He did say he wouldn’t mind coaching in Canada and winning a cup.