In today’s NHL rumors rundown, the Edmonton Oilers have fired Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson and hired Kris Knoblauch and Paul Coffey. Meanwhile, Nikita Zadorov confirms the trade buzz out of Calgary. The Vancouver Canucks have been added to a list of teams interested in acquiring the defenseman.
Oilers Fire Woodcroft Despite Win in Seattle
The Edmonton Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft on Sunday morning in a decision that was believed to have been made as early as Friday. The Oilers already knew who the replacements would be heading into their announcement of the coaching changes and a few insiders are reporting that the team simply wanted to wait for the road trip to end, the outcome of Kraken game being a moot point.
Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal writes:
Make no mistake, however, today’s moves were not orchestrated by Holland. Instead they bear the fingerprints of Jeff Jackson, hired by the Oilers this past summer as the CEO of Hockey Operations. Here is ESPN senior hockey writer Greg Wyshynski, citing a 2017 article on Knoblauch penned by AP hockey writer Stephen Whyno.
source – ‘Jeff Jackson puts his stamp on the Edmonton Oilers with new hires Kris Knoblauch, Paul Coffey’ – Bruce McCurdy – Edmonton Journal – 11/12/2023
Holland is taking a lot of heat in Oilers Nation today because of the firing. The GM’s decision to ink Jack Campbell to a five-year, $5 million contract in the summer of 2022 with the aim of addressing goaltending concerns has faced considerable scrutiny. The recent move to demote Campbell to the AHL, following a disappointing start, has only increased the finger-pointing.
Related: Oilers Make Coaching Changes, Woodcroft Out, Knoblauch In
Elliotte Friedman added that the Oilers did call about the league and try to find a trade partner to snap themselves out of this current funk. They were unwilling to do a desperate or dumb deal, so no trade partners emerged. That could have been a factor leading to the coaching change as the organization had decided that something needed to be done.
Zadorov Confirms He and Flames Are Talking About a Trade
According to Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun, Nikita Zadorov has commented on reports suggesting that he requested a trade from the Flames through his agent Dan Milstein. The 28-year-old defenseman stated, “We have been discussing it. I cannot really say a lot of stuff.”
Gilbertson quoted Zadorov when the defenseman was asked about his agent’s comments on social media:
“That’s my agent, I have to support him. That was his decision to make that tweet. He definitely wants to protect me, wants the best opportunity for myself. So I think he’s definitely helping me in that situation. I cannot probably talk about 90% of that. You guys can only see 10% of what’s going on actually behind the curtains.”
source – ‘Flames’ Zadorov addresses trade talk, understands teammates may be miffed’ – Wes Gilbertson – Calgary Sun – 11/11/2023
He added that he’s loved his time being in Calgary and that he loves the fans and the city. “Like I said last summer, I would love to be a Calgary Flame for my whole life. But the business side, sometimes stuff happens, you know? My agent has to protect me at some points, for sure.”
Canucks Are Among Teams That Like Zadorov
Multiple insiders have noted that the Canucks have a desire to talk about a trade for Zadorov. Darren Dreger says they are amongst a group of teams (and includes Toronto and New Jersey) that have already shown interest. Elliotte Friedman noted during the Saturday Headlines report that the Canucks are also in.
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This is not the initial occasion the Canucks have explored the possibility of acquiring Zadorov. A league source confirmed that they expressed interest in a potential trade for him back in June, preceding the commencement of free agency.
