Despite leading the team to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, the Edmonton Oilers made it clear on Thursday that they believe head coach Kris Knoblauch isn't the answer to help them get over that final hurdle.
After bowing out in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing in six games to the Anaheim Ducks, the Oilers pulled the trigger and parted ways with Knoblauch, who had been behind the bench for the better part of the last three seasons.
"It was a year we never were able to get going. It wasn't just a slow start or maybe a tough stretch in the middle of the year. Those things happen to all teams; you have some ups and downs, but we didn't have a lot of ups this year," Oilers general manager Stan Bowman told reporters in a press conference on Thursday following the dismissal.
"So when we performed our analysis and our review about where we headed as a team, we just felt that we needed a different voice to lead us to where we want to get to."
The Oilers finished the season with a 41-30-11 record, good for 93 points and second place in an underwhelming Pacific Division. In the grander scheme, Edmonton's streak of four consecutive 100-plus-point finishes came to an end, and its success in the first round of the playoffs came to a halt, failing to advance for the first time since the 2021 post-season.
And while the offence continued to produce, finishing sixth in the NHL in scoring with 282 goals, the defence dropped in a big way, allowing the eighth-most goals with 265.
"Difficult decision, without a doubt, but it was based upon the way this entire year played out, not just small sections or just the playoffs," Bowman said. "It was really the total year."
As for what comes next, the move to part ways with Knoblauch comes after a report that the team had inquired with the Vegas Golden Knights about Bruce Cassidy, but had permission withheld by the division rival.
While Bowman opted not to comment on the reports, saying it's "not appropriate to be doing that," he did make it clear that the decision to fire Knoblauch isn't a rushed one and that any rumours that did circulate aren't meant with any disrespect for the former coach.
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