The Edmonton Oilers have made plenty of waves, but not for the right reasons. Edmonton remains in second place in the Pacific Division, but its grasp on that position is tenuous at best.
The club limped into the Olympic break, riding a three-game losing streak. That streak includes a 7-3 drubbing by the Minnesota Wild, a tough 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and an awful 4-3 decision against the Calgary Flames.
It was that decision that caused Leon Draisaitl to blow up the internet by throwing the coaching staff under the bus.
“You need everybody. It starts with coaches. Everybody. You’re never going to win if you have four or five guys going and it starts at the top. We can be better. Our leaders can be better.”
Draisaitl said the quiet part out loud. It seems that the coaching staff has lost its grip on the room. It might not be a total loss of confidence, but it’s getting there.
A good example of that is Andrew Mangiapane. As Elliotte Friedman noted, Mangiapane, while a good player, just hasn’t been a fit for Kris Knoblauch. If that’s indeed the case, why did the Oilers sign him in the first place?
Now, Edmonton is stuck with a contract it doesn’t want and an immovable asset. That’s not on the management team. It’s on the coaching staff. That’s why Draisaitl’s comments seem apropos. He hit the nail on the head, hinting that a coaching change might be the only way out.
Oilers Not Making Coaching Change Now
If a coaching change were on the horizon, it’s not going to happen now. For starters, it’s far too late in the season to make such a move. Unless there was a force majeure for such a move, making a coaching change is a conversation best left for the offseason.
Now, if the Oilers were to return to the Stanley Cup Final and finally get over the hump, that might just save Kris Knoblauch’s job.
But if the Oilers wash out in the playoffs, the story will be quite different. For instance, a first-round exit would be absolutely disastrous. Even a third-straight loss in the Cup Final will not suffice. Heads will roll, and major moves will ensue during the summer.
Edmonton Just Needs to Suck It Up and Move On
Even if a coaching change is evident, there’s not much the club can do about it now. So, the Oilers’ players are better off just sucking things up and moving on. As Draisaitl stated, the Olympics will allow the team to regroup.
Fair enough. But that regrouping will need to happen without the team’s top two stars. Draisaitl will be playing for Germany at the Olympics, while Connor McDavid will be leading the charge for Canada.
That situation means the coaching staff will need to get back to basics with the remaining group of players and figure out a path forward. If they can’t, there’s no telling how the stretch run will affect the club.
The Oilers have a one-point lead on the Seattle Kraken for second spot in the Pacific. Another tough stretch could see the Oilers fall all the way to a wild card spot. Who knows if Draisaitl, Connor McDavid, and company could survive a first-round matchup against the Colorado Avalanche or Vegas Golden Knights?
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