Kris Knoblauch navigating first full season with Oilers following Cup final run

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch speaks during a press conference after getting back from losing to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final, in Edmonton on Wednesday June 26, 2024.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Kris Knoblauch had a lot to process.

Handed the keys to an Edmonton Oilers roster stuck in neutral and full of frustration, the rookie NHL head coach must have felt like he was drinking from a fire hose some 12 months ago.

Learning new players and personalities. Tweaking old tactics and teaching fresh concepts. Navigating a dream job and all the pressures that come with the spotlight of a Canadian market.

Knoblauch had his hands full after taking over a team sitting 31st in the overall standings.

The Oilers, of course, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl — and supported by a new bench boss with a calm approach — got things pointed back in the right direction before eventually falling just short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final.

Edmonton came into 2024-25 with sky-high expectations, but opened the season with three straight regulation home losses at sat 6-7-1 before its current 4-1-1 stretch that included Tuesday's decisive 5-2 road victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Knoblauch has again been dealing with tricky bumps in the road, only this time with a lot more information — and runway.

"I know what to expect from my players," he said. "I know who they are and what they provide. Last year coming in, you're getting used to … just everything."

Knoblauch's demeanour did wonders for the Oilers when he arrived in a panicked, hockey-crazed city. It allowed Edmonton to breathe and find a foothold before flexing in the second half of the schedule and the playoffs.

It also didn't hurt that Knoblauch, 46, had a good relationship with McDavid from their time together in junior with the Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters.

"He's just steady," Edmonton's superstar captain said. "Nothing's changed with him, just the same guy each and every day in the rink. That steady, calming presence is a great thing for our group."

Oilers winger Zach Hyman said Knoblauch's detail-oriented process continues to be noticeable.

"That's extremely important in being a head coach," he said. "There's a lot of randomness that goes on in hockey, and a lot of craziness.

"You can't get caught up in the emotions."

Knoblauch's probably had to bite his tongue a few times this season. Despite a decent record in the Pacific Division, the first six weeks of the schedule have been well below standard.

The issues start with the Oilers' largely disastrous special teams.

A talented power play led by McDavid and Drasaitl, along with Evan Bouchard's booming point shot, has connected on four occasions over the last six games, but still ranked 22nd overall heading into Wednesday's action.

The penalty kill, meanwhile, is no longer dead-last thanks to a perfect 12-for-12 stretch. The unit, however, sits 30th thanks in large part to the ugly numbers provided by goaltenders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, who have given up 16 goals on 59 combined short-handed shots for a .729 save percentage.

Edmonton also isn't nearly as dangerous at 5-on-5, currently 16th in goals for after finishing third last season and sixth in 2022-23.

And the club isn't getting much scoring beyond its two stars. Draisaitl leads the Oilers with 14 goals through 20 games followed by McDavid's nine across 17 contests, but no other forward has more than three, including Hyman, who scored 54 times last season before adding 16 more in the playoffs.

"It's been looking better, carrying a little bit more of the play," McDavid said of his group's overall game. "That's all been good, but still lots of room to grow."

There are adjustments after every season. The Oilers said goodbye to some important pieces that were big parts of the present and future over the summer.

Knoblauch, however, is confident there's a good handle on the group as Edmonton looks to get rolling in the right direction — and get one step further in June.

"Everything's pretty much intact," he said. "I'm just much more familiar with everything around me."

McDavid's Mojo

Knoblauch coached McDavid as a teenage phenom in junior for three seasons and now has the centre in the NHL.

The 27-year-old's professionalism throughout their journey has stood out.

"Never takes a drill off," Knoblauch said. "He's always going 100 per cent because he always wants to push himself to be better, and probably feels that if he did relax and took a step back, other guys would catch him."

He added that McDavid, who became the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points last week, continues to go about things the right way despite the eye-popping numbers a decade into his professional career.

"Dedicated and driven to be the best, but almost embarrassed about the attention that he gets," Knoblauch said. "He always wants to deflect and have his teammates get that recognition."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 20, 2024.