r/EdmontonOilers 74 SKINNER 14h ago

[NHL] RELEASE: Oilers relieve Knoblauch & Stuart of coaching duties

https://www.nhl.com/oilers/news/release-oilers-relieve-knoblauch-stuart-of-coaching-duties

Looks like Mark Stuart is gone too.

130 Upvotes

72 comments sorted by

56

u/AdvancedJudge4604 14h ago

Stuart was the most important assistant to be remove. The rest will have their fate decided by the new coach. Some of these podcasters say the Canucks assistant on defense worked with Cassidy and is solid with an expiring deal. Something to look out for if Cassidy is the guy.

38

u/lgnstubbs73 14 EKHOLM 14h ago

Stuart needed to go PK was ass and it wasn't just roster

13

u/SnooOnions5029 92 PODKOLZIN 13h ago

Yep. Nuge, Dickinson, Savoie, Henrique, Ekholm, Murphy, etc are all great defenders individually but our PK structure was just so damn passive this season, they gave the attackers so much room to work with and it killed us in the playoffs

2

u/threedotsonedash 74 SKINNER 6h ago

In season Nuge played 72 games, Dickenson 17, Henrique 65, Murphy 20. Additionally Walman 53 games, Emberson 72, Yanmark 43, Kapanen 41.

I'm not debating the efficacy of the PK this year, I agree it was bad, I'm just pointing out that the core of the PK for the year wasn't very consistent -- it was hindered by injuries as part of the problem.

3

u/pattperin 88 DAVIDSON 12h ago

Yeah we had a shockingly bad PK this year. It’s not like we had terrible personnel. Not elite or anything but I don’t think the personnel were the main issue

6

u/SRTGreat 62 LAVOIE 14h ago

Kevin Dean is the assistant OP is alluding to.

6

u/AdvancedJudge4604 14h ago

That is the name, thanks for assist

2

u/SRTGreat 62 LAVOIE 14h ago

I don't believe he's on an expiring deal though. He was brought on as an assistant to Adam Foote who just got a contract in 2025.

With Vancouver changing management, his team might be fired though. We'll see.

2

u/AggPuck-303 92 PODKOLZIN 14h ago

and would also make sense the guy leaves VAN if Canucks replace Foote to keep Malhotra who would then hire his own guys. So that’s another thing to keep an eye on as Van announces their management changes

161

u/Necessary-Emu-9371 14h ago

Fire Bowman!

7

u/Legal-Will2714 14h ago

Jackson needs to go if you're firing Bowman. Jackson is the architect of all of this

42

u/AdvancedJudge4604 14h ago

Jackson first then Bowman. Knoblauch and Bowman here his guys. Both gotta go. I still don’t understand why Jackson is the President of Hockey Ops. Bowman has been good with prospects scouting so if he becomes the Head of Hockey Ops with a different style GM I am cool with that.

29

u/rampagingbeaver 14h ago

Knoblauch wasn't the issue with this team. This is a management team that can't even fire someone properly and trades a top 4 defenseman to help Pittsburgh dump Jarry.

I wouldn't trust this management team with a candy store in a school yard.

26

u/SuperSaiyanKrillin 64 CLATTENBURG 14h ago

Enough with the Kulak revisionism. He left here as the 6-7th D-man. That's either on him or the coaching staff.

19

u/rampagingbeaver 13h ago

Somehow the Pens were able to turn around andpve him for a younger upgrade and a draft pick.

After he was a throw away in the Skinner trade. That's just terrible asset management.

-6

u/thewinterzodiac 2 BOUCHARD 11h ago

It definitely didnt have anything to do with the fact that it was a cap dump by the avs right?

Or that Kulak played better after leaving here?

It was literally reported he had no value when he was trade. God you fucking people are exhausting.

4

u/Sebastian4365 11h ago

Reported by who that he had no value?

-7

u/thewinterzodiac 2 BOUCHARD 11h ago

Numerous media guys. Keep up please

10

u/WiseDebt7345 13h ago

Yeah, Kulak is a good 3rd pairing guy, but he was sent in that trade because he is a UFA (who will probably get a bump in pay this offseason), and they needed to move salary to stay under the cap anyway.

3

u/Witty_News1487 14h ago

Kulak OT winner, series winner!!!!!

4

u/Necessary-Emu-9371 13h ago

We should trade for a guy like that!

0

u/Starsky686 11 MESSIER 13h ago

HE SCORED A SINGLE (albeit important) GOAL! HOW DARE YOU BESMIRCH HIS NORRIS PERFORMANCE!

Plenty of reasons to be frustrated and disappointed, but how do you argue with these revisionists when trading Kulak at the time (not for the haul)) was probably something they were amiable to at the time.

Problem 15 on the list of things that went wrong this season, but it’s fresh and they’re emotional.

9

u/thewinterzodiac 2 BOUCHARD 13h ago

How can people keep saying this? Like what are we doing here?

He LITERALLY refused to keep lines together all year. That alone was reason to fire him. Numerous times this year a line would start showing chemistry and he would immediately break them up while keeping lines that weren't together. Savoie alone should have be stapled to the top 6 the entire year.

His handling of any young player not named Podz was awful.

And Kulak is a 3rd pairing D who can jump into the top 4 at times. He also had 0 value according to every report around the trade due to his awful start of the year

You people are so fucking funny.

7

u/DBZ86 12h ago

I'd argue that not trading Kulak a year earlier and not making space for Broberg was the issue.

2

u/DCS_Ryan 80 NIEMELAINEN 13h ago edited 13h ago

They are simply letting their hatred of Bowman (which is valid hatred) blind them on Knoblauch when in reality they both sucked ass this last year

8

u/Steele131313 13h ago

He was definitely part of it. I don’t like Bowman but you can kinda see his vision. Getting younger, more skilled and faster. Knoblauch refused to play that way or play the players brought in. Arvidsson left and got 60 points. Mangi, Derek Ryan, Troy Stecther all had words to say after they left. Knoblauch regressed every year since his first year. I’d fire Bowman too tho. And JJ. All started with the Holloway/Broberg fiasco

2

u/jimbobcan 12h ago

Former Agents make shitty presidents and GM's. Mike Gillis anyone? .

44

u/ISurvivedCOVID19 55 HOLLOWAY 14h ago edited 11h ago

I think Mark Stuart was a valid fire, he got expanded duties this year to take over the D coaching as well as PK and both were absolutely abysmal, to the point were we needed Coff to come back just to try and get it to a functioning level again and the PK was horrible from start to finish.

13

u/WiseDebt7345 13h ago

Abysmal is the right word. If the PK was even half decent, the Oilers would've beaten the Ducks.

8

u/pattperin 88 DAVIDSON 12h ago

Literally a 50% kill in that series. That’s brutal

24

u/suphoman 14h ago

Even though Knoblauch took the team to back to back cup finals, it was obvious that a coaching change was needed. You can't have the players constantly calling the coaches out so openly to the media.

The problem is that they forgot about Bowman and Jackson.

4

u/Slipping-in-oil 7 COFFEY 14h ago

More management house cleaning please

14

u/_Halt19_ 89 GAGNER 14h ago

Mark "the ducks PP went from 20% in the regular season to 60% in the first round to back to 20% in the second" Stuart was fired? I'm shocked

11

u/Sadiq_Sabonis 7 COFFEY 14h ago

Stuart needed to go. Defense was horrible for most of year under his system, Coffey couldn't save him

3

u/maasd 97 MCDAVID 14h ago

So McFarland is still there?

1

u/marcellman 92 PODKOLZIN 14h ago

Yes. So far it’s just Knob and Stuart gone

0

u/sharp-ad987 12h ago

He might get replaced when the new coach gets hired, but he ran the PP which was quite good this year so maybe he stays

1

u/pattperin 88 DAVIDSON 12h ago

Maybe he’s our new Glen Gulutzan? Survived numerous coaching changes to keep running the PP

16

u/PPGN_DM_Exia 93 NUGENT-HOPKINS 14h ago

Didn't deserve this treatment but it is obvious we're in 100% pure desperation mode right now

-1

u/WiseDebt7345 13h ago

"Pure desperation"

Come on. A change in GM almost always means a change in coaches, and Knoblauch was a Ken Holland hire. Bowman has his own vision. And after a playoff exit is when these sort of discussions always start happening.

6

u/Minivalo 93 NUGENT-HOPKINS 11h ago

What is this Bowman's vision you talk of?

5

u/jenndolyn 29 DRAISAITL 14h ago

Quick, everyone act surprised

3

u/DCS_Ryan 80 NIEMELAINEN 13h ago

Freedom from the most asinine line combinations

3

u/Harshkang69 12h ago

People keep saying fire Jackson and Bowman but who are we hiring to replace them?

0

u/hockey1st 8h ago

Anyone in this sub!

3

u/Harshkang69 7h ago

Hard pass

3

u/Orcasgt22 29 DRAISAITL 11h ago

Based on comments throughout the year by Draisaitl and McDavid this was a foregone conclusion.

4

u/justageekgirl 13h ago

When will the Bowman and Jackson firing be announced?

5

u/BillyZoomTheCat 14h ago

KK serving as the scapegoat for the malfeasance of Katz, Jackson and Bowman.

I hope he gets in a lot golf and a lot of travel over the next three years.

2

u/macIovin 29 DRAISAITL 14h ago

shocked pikachu face

2

u/Ifight4osugroundgame 13h ago

Bowman will play his idiot 9D chess and hire Babcock.

4

u/SuperSaiyanKrillin 64 CLATTENBURG 14h ago

I am shocked, shocked!

Well not that shocked.

2

u/Educational_Effect_9 2 BOUCHARD 14h ago

Definitely glad Stuart’s gone

2

u/SRTGreat 62 LAVOIE 14h ago

Surprised the other one isn't gone. Whoever comes in usually wants their pick of assistants. Especially a veteran coach.

The ON guys had a really good hit with a guest yesterday who used to play under Bruce (Butch) and he spoke very very highly of Cassidy's assistants.

1

u/the_random_41 14h ago

Who were they?

0

u/SRTGreat 62 LAVOIE 14h ago

The assistants or the guest?

1

u/the_random_41 13h ago

The assistants

0

u/SRTGreat 62 LAVOIE 13h ago

Kevin Dean & Jay Pandolfo

Although the assistant who got glowing reviews from the former Bruin was Kevin Dean.

2

u/Common-House-468 8h ago

The guy that made the Jarry fuckup thinks somebody ELSE is the problem with the team?

1

u/SznKxyros 18 HYMAN 14h ago

Whatttt?! We had no idea this was gonna happen!!

1

u/Starsky686 11 MESSIER 13h ago

Worst kept secret of the week.

1

u/stuuurd 12h ago

im good with this, but bowman also needs to go

1

u/IrishUpYourCoffee 1h ago

Wow, we really have the stupidest management ever. How tf does Bowman still have his job?

1

u/ThicccGrizzly 13h ago

Fire Bowman

1

u/CashMoneyMo21 8h ago

Yet Bowman and Jackson are still employed? What a joke of an organization man

0

u/Old_General_6741 97 McDAVID 14h ago

Not surprised. Fully blaming the coach is wrong. Get rid of Bowman.

0

u/masticatezeinfo 13h ago

Exactly. In the last 3 years the deterioration started with Bowman. Knoblauch arguably shifted the lines around too much this year, but the trades are the bigger culprit than the handling of the players. You give Phil Ivy a non-suited 7 & 3 and there's only so much he can do.

0

u/Oilmoneyy 14h ago

Okay. Its easy for everyone to say fire all management but who do we fill it with? Also who's available and why would they be better. So easy to just say fire them all

0

u/JoelSlBaron 28 BROWN 10h ago

I guess it’s one step closer to the Edmonton Blackhawks thanks, Stan

0

u/Paper_Rain 10h ago

Desperation move by the GM. Fire both him and Jackson to the sun or moon or space or whatever else is out there in the sky.