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

"I hear Babcock is available.


Hahaha!!!"

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Bob said Kris started coaching full time shortly after graduating from the University of Alberta, where he played with the hockey team for five seasons. It was during that stint as a player that he got interested in coaching.

“When he was at the U of A, his coach was Rob Daum. He was really interested in Rob’s coaching style and he really got the bug in those five years playing under Daum,” Bob explained.

“Once his university career was done, he played a year of semi-pro, but coaching was his biggest interest. He got the assistant job in Prince Albert and then just kept moving on from there. He was drawn to coaching right off the bat after his hockey career was over.”

Before coaching, Kris played AAA hockey for the Battlefords Stars before moving to major junior to play for the Red Deer Rebels, Edmonton Ice, Lethbridge Hurricanes and Kootenay Ice in the WHL.

His coaching career has seen him win a championship in the WHL with the Kootenay Ice in 2010-11 and an OHL championship in 2016-17 with the Erie Otters.

His junior success led him to landing an assistant coaches role with the Philadelphia Flyers from 2017-19, before he took over as the head coach of the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack in 2019.

He was able to fill in as a head coach in the NHL for several games during the COVID-19 pandemic with the New York Rangers. During his first fill-in game, the Rangers won 9-0 over the Philadelphia Flyers at Madison Square Garden.

Bob explained what Oilers fans and players can expect from his son as their next head coach.

“When he was in Erie and the AHL, he liked to play an offensive game but always stressed defence. His biggest plus in coaching is he’s a player’s coach,” Bob stated.

“He really treats his players well, and if they have a problem his door is always open. Anybody I’ve talked to or who has played for him has never had a bad thing to say about him. He is demanding, but he doesn’t go overboard and lets the players play his game. He’s a coach that likes both ends of the ice.”
 
They did a coaching change last year that was a disaster they're also massively over achieving, they'll adjust to the mean soon enough.
I don't know why people refuse to believe they could be a good team, cause they are. I get this is the Oilers board where no other team can be talked up, but don't be surprised if they keep rolling.
 
I don't know why people refuse to believe they could be a good team, cause they are. I get this is the Oilers board where no other team can be talked up, but don't be surprised if they keep rolling.

They're a good offensive team when the PP is clicking

They're a poor defensive team with goaltending that falls apart under stress.

Both things can be true at one time.

Edit: I haven’t had my morning coffee yet lol. Thought you were talking about the Oilers.
 
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I don't know why people refuse to believe they could be a good team, cause they are. I get this is the Oilers board where no other team can be talked up, but don't be surprised if they keep rolling.
Because they aren't, everything is just going their way. They've done well to make something of it, but they're overachieving and will adjust to the mean, no question. Equally don't be surprised if they have a 2 win month when everything stops breaking their way.
 
I don't know why people refuse to believe they could be a good team, cause they are. I get this is the Oilers board where no other team can be talked up, but don't be surprised if they keep rolling.
They could end up having one of those seasons where everything goes right for sure but make no mistake they are getting a bunch of puck luck right now. I expect things will equal out.

They owned us this year though so really what can I say.
 
Because they aren't, everything is just going their way. They've done well to make something of it, but they're overachieving and will adjust to the mean, no question. Equally don't be surprised if they have a 2 win month when everything stops breaking their way.
The point remains that they didn't just change a coach. They made some good additions to the team over the summer, minimal as some people want to make them out to be.

They have a good team.
 
The point remains that they didn't just change a coach. They made some good additions to the team over the summer, minimal as some people want to make them out to be.

They have a good team.
They do have a good team. A bad team doesnt bitch slap the Oilers over 3 games.
They have an excellent goalie and they have good balance in their lineup.

I dont think that they will be up with Vegas at the end of the season but they are a playoff team IMO.
 
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They could end up having one of those seasons where everything goes right for sure but make no mistake they are getting a bunch of puck luck right now. I expect things will equal out.

They owned us this year though so really what can I say.
But they didn't really. Only the one game. In two of the games the Oilers vastly outplayed the Canucks and were simply out goalied. I still think Nucks are a WC team, not a 2nd or 3rd place team. There will be fall off to some extent, and we've seen them have brief success before when demko heats up, and so much predicated on Demko.
 
I don’t think you know what consensus means
It’s true. His original post also used the phrase ‘universally agree’. There is no way that the ‘consensus’ supports Woodcroft, nor is it true that there is ‘universal agreement’ on this. Even on this board it looks to be about a 50/50 split. The Woodcroft ‘appreciation’ thread has less than 40 posts and a good number of those have not been made in his defense.

Unfortunately for Woodcroft he got in over his head. And given the lame duck situation with Holland, and the fact that the team has zero cap space and probably can’t make a big trade at this point in the season, firing the coach was the only option left on a club that started 3-9-1.

I concur with others who have posted that Woodcroft seems like a clever enough person that he’ll probably learn from his mistakes and be better when/if he gets another chance. I would also add that those fans pointing to Woodcroft’s sparkling win percentage in Edmonton aren’t giving enough thought to the reality that having the two guys who have taken home all the individual NHL hardware over the past three seasons would tend to lead to more wins no matter who is behind the bench.
 
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But they didn't really. Only the one game. In two of the games the Oilers vastly outplayed the Canucks and were simply out goalied. I still think Nucks are a WC team, not a 2nd or 3rd place team. There will be fall off to some extent, and we've seen them have brief success before when demko heats up, and so much predicated on Demko.

I picked them to be in the playoffs at the beginning of the year. Demko is a Vezina level goalie, their D is vastly improved and Tocchet is a decent coach who will demand a solid effort every night.
 
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Seravelli says people have no idea how much power Paul Coffey has had the last while

I was pro new coach, but that looks so messed up. I wonder where coffey moves to after this coaching thing. No way he is coaching next year
 
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Seravelli says people have no idea how much power Paul Coffey has had the last while

I was pro new coach, but that looks so messed up. I wonder where coffey moves to after this coaching thing. No way he is coaching next year
- Staios went from the heir apparent for the GM position to on the outs the week Jeff Jackson was hired, a move we've been told was recommended and facilitated by Coffey.
- Coffey is basically ordered to take up an assistant coaching job, and the word is that it's just for the remainder of the year with the implication that he will move to another role next year

It's highly likely Coffey is the team's next GM,, and more importantly - Katz's choice for next GM after letting other people make the hire for him. I'm sure he hasn't been all that impressed over the last 16/17 years after Lowe hired Tambo/Mact, and Nicholson hired Chiarelli/Holland.
 
Seravelli says people have no idea how much power Paul Coffey has had the last while

I was pro new coach, but that looks so messed up. I wonder where coffey moves to after this coaching thing. No way he is coaching next year
Coffey could end up being GM after Holland. Say hello to the new old boys club.
 

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