Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and his new staff will have precious little time to acclimatize
For those on contract watch for Kris Knoblauch, do not anticipate anything on that front immediately.
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Nor do I think it is at the top of his mind right now. He has bigger fish to fry.
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Instead, I expect the Oilers Head Coach is fully immersed in bringing his staff into the loop on the plans for 2025-26, and specifics on their roles. Unlike his past staff which Knoblauch inherited, this one is all his. Stan Bowman did indeed have some connection to the new goalie coach Peter Aubry, but as I understand it the people Kris has surrounded himself with are now 'his guys'. Aubry, Assistant Coach Paul McFarland and Skills Coach Conor Allen will have their hands full.
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And there will be no wading into the water for them to see how warm it is. They will be jumping right in. Because if the detail I am hearing about the new NHL season schedule from various sources across the league is true, Kris Knoblauch's staff will need to be uber-focused and together in terms of their systems, their process and their protocols. They will need to have their club ready to hit the ground (or ice, I guess) running right from Game #1.
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Because I expect the Edmonton Oilers will spend a hefty chunk of the first quarter of the regular season away from home. Included in that stretch are expected to be two extended road trips of five games or more. If all that comes to pass, then some patience will be required when it comes to how the club fares right out of the gate. It could be a grueling start. And all Kris Knoblauch can do about that is prepare, prepare, prepare.
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This probably means very little experimenting in training camp, especially in the final few games. He will want lines and pairings formed and getting a feel for one another. Swift integration for the new players will also be vital. Even though there is a new coach for the Power Play, there is every reason to believe that the Oilers' man advantage will continue to be lethal. All the key personnel are returning. A nip here, a tuck there, etc. But systems and some personnel will change on the penalty kill. I expect not wholesale change but tweaks on the back end, too. The dynamic change with Paul Coffey movin' on up I predict will be meaningful.
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Then there is the new goaltending coach. Aubry will require dedicated time with his guys. In fact, that may be Job One. You will not change what kind of goaltenders these guys are, 'they' being Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. But there are adjustments that can and should be made. I expect the leash may be short if one or both of them can not grab the job and run with it. And clearly Skinner is the one with considerable upside. Pickard is what I would class as a very capable NHL backup, versus a 1B.
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