How Kris Knoblauch's keen ability to adjust elevated Edmonton Oilers

New York Times

7 days ago

In the 18 months since Kris Knoblauch took over as coach of the Edmonton Oilers, he has guided the team to the Stanley Cup Final each time.
For fans of the team, the unassuming Knoblauch represents an elite problem solver. That ability to tinker with the roster, using only players who are readily available, has become a calling card of the team's head coach. After going to Game 7 of the final last spring, he now has the Oilers four wins from the championship.
Advertisement
Here's a list of how Knoblauch helped the Oilers arrive as a Western Conference powerhouse.
Knoblauch gets credit for placing the top line and pairing (Connor McDavid's trio with Evan Bouchard's partner, most often Mattias Ekholm) to form an elite unit. His predecessor, Jay Woodcroft, had already started the practice, but in typical Knoblauch style, the results under his guidance during the 2023-24 season were superior to Woodcroft's:
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
There were other changes, and the NHL experiences a 'dead cat bounce' routinely after a coaching change, but the improvement was immediate, exceptional and had sustain.
During the 2024-25 season, McDavid's line and Bouchard's pairing continued to dominate NHL opposition. Averaging 12:18 per game at five-on-five, the five-man unit scored 62 percent of the goals (63 percent expected) and dumbfounded NHL coaches.
In this year's postseason, the unit has averaged 10:45 minutes per game five-on-five, with a 62 percent goal share (59 percent expected). That's against top-flight competition.
Knoblauch didn't invent the five-man offensive wrecking crew, but he did perfect its deployment.
There was a time when Oilers players played through pain, at the expense of performance. San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier had a legendary pain threshold when he played for Edmonton. He dealt with shoulder issues, and there were times when he would skate back to the bench after a hit, grimacing in pain. Grier would get his shoulder reset on the bench and make the next shift.
So it was interesting to watch this year's team take maximum time (and then some) when players were injured. A look at the team's foundation players shows several (McDavid missed 15 games, Leon Draisaitl 11) Oilers missing extended periods via injuries or suspension.
Advertisement
There's no rule against resting players longer after injury, and there's no evidence the Oilers did this during 2024-25. The team is healthier this year, with only Ekholm missing significant playoff time this spring before the injury to Zach Hyman. Also, Evander Kane timed various medical procedures that allowed him to be ready for the second game of the playoffs.
Knoblauch has been a little unorthodox in his handling of his goaltenders during his two playoff runs in Edmonton. In the spring of 2024, Stuart Skinner struggled during the series versus Vancouver Canucks. Knoblauch inserted Calvin Pickard for a couple of games, and then went back to his starter.
That's a traditional handling of goaltending tandems.
This spring, Skinner once again struggled, and the coach made a change. This time, he ran Pickard through the end of the series against the Los Angeles Kings and the beginning of the Vegas Golden Knights seven-game tilt.
Only injury gave Skinner another chance. Entering the final, Knoblauch has shown confidence in both goaltenders, and they have rewarded his faith in them.
All numbers five-on-five, via Natural Stat Trick
These are exceptional numbers, with Skinner's save percentage the best for an Oilers starting goalie since Cam Talbot (.932) in the 2017 playoffs.
Knoblauch has a reputation for having his finger on the pulse of the roster. There's no better example than his handling of the goaltenders this spring.
One of the big questions entering the playoffs for Edmonton surrounded Ekholm's absence. Oilers fans worried about the team's ability to replace him on the top pairing without upsetting the rest of the defensive depth chart.
Knoblauch did two things: He ran Brett Kulak on the double, pairing him with both Bouchard (132 minutes) and Darnell Nurse (93 minutes) at even strength. The unusual deployment worked through most of three rounds, before Ekholm-Bouchard returned late in the series against the Dallas Stars.
Advertisement
The second tweak, and the major lift, came from pairing newcomers Jake Walman and John Klingberg. The two men showed sensational puck-moving ability, with Klingberg delivering breathtaking headman passes for big goals in what can only be described as a return to his impact level at his peak Dallas years. The pairing played 168 minutes together through three rounds, and were an enormous help in getting the club through the period when Ekholm was not available.
Up and down the roster, Knoblauch's ability to call on players who are not in the everyday lineup has been impressive. Some of it comes from a deep roster, but every team that goes deep has quality stored in the press box.
A good example of Knoblauch's ability to find what he needs is veteran winger Kasperi Kapanen. Inserted because of his foot speed (he's in the 97th percentile via NHL Edge) and aggressive play, the Oilers are thriving with Kapanen on the ice.
Other players who have been spotted in and out of the lineup include Ty Emberson (nine games), Troy Stecher (six games) and Jeff Skinner (two games).
Knoblauch rolls four lines and three pairings when possible. The coach will insert the McDavid line (or Draisaitl trio) after commercial breaks in order to get optimal performance from his elite talent.
During the series against the Vegas Golden Knights, Knoblauch deployed Draisaitl (at times with McDavid) against Jack Eichel's line a higher-than-average amount. In 42 minutes head-to-head, Edmonton won the shot share (60 percent), goal share (67 percent) and expected goal share (57 percent).
That kind of head-to-head matchup is out of the norm for Knoblauch. In this case, it worked well, as the Oilers won handily.
Perhaps the biggest accomplishment by Knoblauch and Oilers coaches surrounds overcoming the team's reputation regarding the McDavid minutes. Aggressive play, determined forechecking and playing beyond the rules seemed to impact the Oilers in past seasons, leaving the team without optimal McDavid at the most important time of the year.
Knoblauch's ability to coach the defencemen on retrievals, make sure the forwards offer attractive outlets in breakouts and keep the puck out of the defensive zone may be the key step in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Edmonton.