Confirmed with Link: Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson fired - no more Woody during NNN - Kris Knoblauch hired, Coffey as assistant

[Echodek]

If the familiarity of this coaching hire causes Mcdavid to amp up his game and causes other underachieving players to play better, then I fail to see a negative here.

 

[ConnorNova0929]

A panic move based on a 14 game sample where the analytics prove that the team hasn’t given up on Woody. Holland scrambling to save his own ass, looking for trades, making demotions, and in all that time I’m supposed to believe he did an extensive and effective search for a coach and what he came up with was TWO former Oilers? One of which is already with the organization and has never coached a day in his life, the other another Decent AHL coach ala Woody with zero championship pedigree unlike confirmed good hires in Bednar and Cooper.

Holland better have atleast read the room when he made this firing. He better have atleast confirmed the players wanted this. Canning a coach McDrai like could be a nail in the coffin of the McDrai era as much as keeping Woody and seeing what happens. Somehow I doubt Holland did this, the lazy f***.

This move is 100% made by Jeff Jackson and not Holland. He will live or die by it.

I didn't 100% believe that Holland was on the outs in terms of hockey ops until they decided to make this move.

 

[Heavy Dee]

Paul Coffey, Special Advisor to Owner

Paul : Darryl, you should hire me as a coach
Darryl: Done. What else do you need?

 

[Spawn]

Can’t hate Coffey for what Lowe said my dude.

Can hate him for being an unqualified nepo hire.

 

[BlackDogg]

Wow THAT MAN called it!

 

[Travis093]

This sucks

 

[Cloned]

That's a dumb reason. Not that it matters since he was being let go anyway but to keep him after the San Jose game then fire him after a win just seems stupid to me but whatever, the problems as usual exist much higher than Woody anyway so this is like putting a cork in a sinking titanic.

Oh and Paul Coffey as assistant is just so Oilers.

James Cameron

 

[3IR]

The fact that Coffey and Mcdavids old coach are being brought in is frustrating, but seeing that Schwartz is still employed really makes this go from frustrating to infuriating.

If the team legitimately fired woody because a lack of results over this stretch, I could almost buy that it was them trying to hold someone accountable as this is a “results based business” as I’ve heard so many say since things started going south.

Yet the guy who’s coached every goalie we’ve had in the Mcdavid Era, where goalies have been our biggest weakness forever, is still employed.

Then to top it off, we have a previous coach of mcdavids hired by his agent who’s also running the show apparently, but not without a hint of OBC in Coffey to really let fans know things are changing.

 

[EchoesoftheEighties]

EIG wasn't much better, but the expectations were much lower. They started the OBG when Lowe was quickly promoted to GM after the Nichols/Sather power struggle caused Sather to bolt to New York

I usually give them the benefit of the doubt because budget was an issue. They got the most out of what they had in a non salary cap era

 

[Hockeylife2018]

So we've hired mcdavids agent to manage the team and his old coach to run the team

What's his 5th grade school teacher up to?

 

[Beerfish]

The fun thing will be to see the usual occurrence with local and some non local media.

The same guys that defended the guys fired and shouted down anyone who criticized them at all will now be heaping all the blame on the guys who have been fired.

It happens every time.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

Not even in my dumbest dreams did I foresee anything this dumb.

 

[TheNumber4]

Jeff Jackson must be hoping Knoblauch Jon Cooper's this team to a cup. It's all I got.

"I'm also told Brian McDavid has also been brought in to be a director of player personnel."

-Probably

If the Oilers are hoping for a Jon Cooper type hire maybe go get the guy in the AHL that actually won a championship. Woody didn’t. Nor did Knoblauch. Cooper did. Bednar did.

 

[Jumptheshark]

Can’t hate Coffey for what Lowe said my dude.

I hate coffey from my days in Edmonton and the attitude he had to younger players playing in the AJHL. Of all the players I came across him and Anderson was worst. Mess had his moments as long as you asked him about how to see the ice and play the game you were fine. But anything gossipy mess shut ya down

 

[foshizzle]

I can bet this offseason Sylvain Rodrigue gets poached. He has NHL teams looking at him last year too.

 

[TB12]

Knoblauch is good this way?

According to people i know that worked with him/played for him, he’s very detail oriented and a strong systems coach.

 

[Duder54]

Don't know how I feel about this tbh. How many coaches does the team have to go through before the make-up of the roster gets called into question?

One thing I don't get is why Woody tried to implement a completely new system this year when the team seemed to play quite well within the old one. Furthermore, when it seemed clear that the new system wasn't working, why didn't he just admit defeat and move back to the one that worked before.

Will wait and see how the new coach is, but to me the main issue with the team was never behind the bench.

 

[CycloneSweep]

If the Oilers are hoping for a Jon Cooper type hire maybe go get the guy in the AHL that actually won a championship. Woody didn’t. Nor did Knoblauch. Cooper did. Bednar did.

Hey now, Knoblauch made the playoffs once and won a single round. Thats quality.

 

[Mr Kot]

According to people i know that worked with him/played for him, he’s very detail oriented and a strong systems coach.

That's good to hear, as with all other coaches, gotta give him a try before crucifying him.

 

[TheNumber4]

Knoblauch is also very Western Canada/Edmonton. Played junior here, former U of A grad, grew up in Sask. Probably unironically cheered for Paul Coffey as a kid, what a treat and incredible conflict to coach with your idol.

My biggest concern with this whole schtik is why we refused to get a seasoned coach for this group - even over the offseason to work with Woody. Good luck to the rookie head coach (sorry, had 6 games with the Rangers by COVIDway), but may not be the best time to learn the NHL game. Guess we'd be up in arms if Julien or Vigneaut was here, too.

I feel like I’ve been hearing Bob Stauffer Jack off to Knoblauch for years. Not a good sign.

 

[Cloned]

According to people i know that worked with him/played for him, he’s very detail oriented and a strong systems coach.

Hopefully you’re right. Sentiment so far seems to be the opposite.

 

[McTedi]

Can hate him for being an unqualified nepo hire.

Aren't the majority of asst coaches ex players? I maybe don't think it was the best hire but calling the guy unqualified seems a tad contrived. Nepo hire 100%

 

[McIce Whole]

Ok, but again. Who? If there are so many naming a few shouldn’t be hard.

The only possible options that fit that criteria are Babcock, Quennville, and Gallant. Two are persona non grata and one by all reports would be all wrong for this group.

Quenneville, Gallant, Boudreau, Julien or (preferably) keep Woody and make a trade for him.

Even looking at the AHL, Nelson is more qualified than Knoblauch.

 

[McTedi]

Yes when McDavid and Draisaitl are performing like 4th liners and the goalies are awful it’s wrong to see the coach take the hit

The org went on and on about stability in the coaching position, this is Hollands third coach in four years

You must be new to hockey, welcome.

 

[TopShelfGloveSide]

Can hate him for being an unqualified nepo hire.

How is one of the best players of all time not qualified to be an assistant coach… ex players get hired to be head coach / GM on less.