The Edmonton Oilers have been in the middle of an interesting debate regarding the return of Paul Coffey. Coffey had been a part of head coach Kris Knoblauch’s staff for the past two seasons before leaving prior to the start of this current year.
However, things have seemingly gone south for Knoblauch without Coffey. Beyond the club’s inconsistent play, the chatter leading up to the Olympic break suggested that players, such as Leon Draisaitl, were unhappy with the coaching.
This week, news broke regarding Coffey’s return to the Oilers’ bench. That’s quite an intriguing turn of events. The prevailing wisdom is that Coffey and Knoblauch don’t really see eye-to-eye. That’s why Knoblauch pushed for Coffey’s departure.
Coffey, meanwhile, didn’t want to be behind the bench. If anything, Coffey agreed to the role of assistant coach as a personal favor to Oilers’ owner Daryl Katz. Jim Parsons of The Hockey News took a deep dive into the circumstances leading to Coffey’s return.
What seems more interesting in this entire situation is the timing. Coffey will be returning for this season’s stretch run and playoffs. It’s unfathomable that the Oilers would fall off the radar and miss the postseason. So, the move corresponds to preparation for the playoffs.
But what if there’s something else behind the move? What if this move is more about a succession plan in which Knoblauch would be on the way out?
Coffey Could Be Knoblauch’s Successor in Edmonton
Part of the chatter surrounding the Oilers is Knoblauch’s apparent loss of the locker room. Draisaitl’s comments raised plenty of red flags concerning the state of affairs in Edmonton. While the Olympics paused that chatter, there’s no question it will pick up once play resumes.
That situation could mean that Coffey’s return is more about a transition rather than support. As such, could the Oilers contemplate a coaching change at this point in the season? While it’s a highly unlikely situation, it could be a last-resort situation.
If the team struggles out of the gate once the season resumes, the organization may not wait much longer to make a move. Coffey is a known commodity, one that players look up to and respect.
Oilers Likely to Make Coaching Change in Offseason
The Likeliest timeline for a coaching change would be the offseason. Unless Knoblauch faces mutiny, an in-season change at this point would not happen. Coffey would most likely be a stabilizing force, becoming a buffer between unhappy players and Knoblauch’s coaching staff.
Even if the Oilers won the Stanley Cup this season, Knoblauch’s days are seemingly counting down. While a Cup would quell much of the uneasiness, there’s a fair chance that much of the credit would go to Coffey and not Knoblauch. That’s why Coffey would likely become the go-to choice for the Oilers’ bench boss role.
This discussion is purely hearsay at this point. But judging by the way things have played out, it’s evident that Edmonton is in full crisis control. There’s little margin for error at this point. That’s why this move seems like a last-ditch effort to salvage the Oilers’ season.
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