It’s exactly one month since the Edmonton Oilers relieved head coach Jay Woodcroft of his duties, replacing him with Kris Knoblauch.
At the time, Oilers general manager and president of hockey operations Ken Holland and CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson came under fire for the move. But it’s now starting to appear that apologies are in order, because this team that was watching its season rapidly slip away has completely turned things around.
Related: Oilers Can’t Win Stanley Cup If They Keep Changing Coaches
When Woodcroft was shown the door on Nov. 12, the Oilers sat 31st in the NHL overall standings, with just seven points from a record of 3-9-1. Edmonton was second from last in the Western Conference, and already eight points back of a wild card playoff spot.
Following the coaching change, the Oilers have won nine of 12 games, including their last seven, and are unbeaten at home. They’ve climbed several spots in the standings and are now within three points of the last wild card spot.
Oilers Have Made Dramatic Turnaround
Under Woodcroft, the Oilers ranked 26th in the NHL with 2.69 goals for per game and 30th with 3.92 goals against per game. In games since Nov. 12, Edmonton is averaging 4.33 goals for per game, nearly half a goal more than any other team, and is 10th in the NHL with a goals-against average of 2.75.
Thirty days ago, Edmonton had the league’s second-worst goal differential, minus-1.23 per game. In the last 30 days, the Oilers have the league’s best goal differential, plus-1.58, over the last month. In going from Woodcroft to Knoblauch, they’ve made a positive turnaround of 2.81 goals per game.
Special teams play has also been a significant factor in the Oilers’ incredible upswing. Edmonton had a 23.8% power play and 70% penalty kill with Woodcroft behind the bench. Those numbers are up to 31.7% and 91.1% respectively over the 13 games since Knoblauch assumed command.
Skepticism Towards Oilers’ Coaching Change Was Valid
The early results are proving wrong those who questioned the coaching change, but their criticism was understandable, especially considering the Oilers were so successful during the first year and a half of Woodcroft’s tenure (Woodcroft came on board in February 2022, succeeding the fired Dave Tippett).
Yes, they’d had a dreadful first month of the season, especially for a team with such high expectations, but dismissing Woodcroft, who owned the highest win percentage among coaches in franchise history, and replacing him with a first-time NHL head coach only 13 games into the Oilers’ schedule seemed like the front office was grasping at straws.
Woodcroft’s proven success with this group over an extended period would suggest he could get them back on track. The Oilers had even won the night before Woodcroft got canned. Edmonton’s front office was making this decision of great consequence after one relatively brief rough patch.
Revisiting the Decision to Fire Woodcroft
The logic is easier to appreciate now, but Holland said as much at the time: he wasn’t thinking about the games played so much as the games remaining.
“Certainly, we’ve played at a high level under (Woodcroft),” Holland said during the Nov. 12 press conference introducing Knoblauch. “I think we had the second-best winning percentage over the last 120 games under Jay, but we’re in win-now mode and I think we’ve talked about that over the last few years that I’ve been here. I think since I’ve got here, when you look at our team – the players on the team, the age of the team – the time is now to try to win.
“I guess we could get into the debate: is 12 games or 13 games enough? I think if you wait another 10 games and things don’t change, it’s probably too late, so Jeff and I felt that it was something that needed to be done.”
Oilers Have Closed Playoff Gap Under Knoblauch
In Knoblauch’s first 12 games, the Oilers have picked up 18 points to bring their season total to 25. The Arizona Coyotes (28 points in 27 games) and Nashville Predators (30 points in 28 games) currently occupy the two Western Conference wild card spots.
Had the Oilers even gone .500 over this last stretch of 12 games, they would have 19 points, which would be tied with the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks for fewest in the entire NHL.
We’ll never know if Woodcroft could have righted the ship before the season sunk. It’s kind of unfair he didn’t get the chance. It’s also irrelevant now, because the Oilers are thriving under Knoblauch.
Firing Woodcroft seemed like a desperate move, and maybe it was. But maybe that’s also exactly what was needed. There won’t be formal apologies to Holland and Jackson until the Oilers at least make the playoffs and go on a serious run in the spring, but based on what Oil Country has seen so far, there’s an acknowledgement that this besieged front office duo might have known what it was doing.
Edmonton will go for an eighth consecutive win when it hosts the Blackhawks at Rogers Place tonight (Dec. 12) in what will be the first meeting of Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Chicago’s star rookie Connor Bedard.
