Extension of Knoblauch’s contract an important sign of stability for Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers have many personnel waiting to sign on the dotted line — not just Connor McDavid.

As we wait for information on the alleged Monday booking of the Hall of Fame room at Rogers Place, like people waited for Walter Cronkite to give us the latest on Watergate, head coach Kris Knoblauch’s job security was given an additional boost on Friday.

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Knoblauch and the Oilers agreed to a three-year extension, keeping him (theoretically) in Oil Country until 2028-29.  

In terms of making a decision that requires little thinking, aka a “no-brainer”, this is chief among them.

Plus, it’s extremely rare for a coach to be in a lame duck situation where he has no contract beyond the current year, so again. It’s a no-brainer.

Where Kris Knoblauch ranks amongst the best coaches in the NHL, I don’t know. But I would wager he is in the top half at minimum and in the top-5 at best.  

However, the pessimist in me can’t help but point out that the Oilers can’t MacGyver their way out of a bad start with their time-honoured tradition of dumping the coach. Print a Justice for Jay Woodcroft t-shirt, someone, please.

How’s this for a stat: If Knoblauch completes this regular season, his third season at the helm, he will already be fifth all-time in regular-season games coached in Edmonton Oilers history.

He is only outpaced by Glen Sather, Craig MacTavish, Ron Low, and Todd McLellan — and he’ll surpass McLellan in short order early in 2026-27.

An above .500 reg season would vault Knoblauch over Low and as the third winningest coach in Oilers history to boot.

My point? The Oilers go through head coaches like a Kardashian goes through plastic surgeons. They go through coaches like the City of Edmonton makes LRT adjustments. They’re like Donald Trump and tariffs, etc.

The Oilers have had 18 head coaches throughout their history, so a coaching change springs eternal like autumn leaves.

If the team struggles for any decent stretch of 10 games or more, the coach is on the hot seat, rightly or wrongly. Since Craig MacTavish, the carousel of one-and-done head coaches and firings to get a spark has been the go-to move for the organization.

Stability in this position, and a signal from the general manager that a momentum-shifting coach firing isn’t on the horizon, helps limit the noise in an already noisy year of contract renewals.

Remember the relationship with Connor McDavid. Remember that now Kris Knoblauch has his own staff in place. Remember that a coach extended beyond has more incentive to make roster decisions that keep the future in mind. That could bode well for Matt Savoie and Isaac Howard.

Again, no one was arguing he shouldn’t be extended, so the points in his favour are already accepted, but it’s another step in the process of the ultimate goal of the franchise heading into the season.

“Well, ehrm, actually, anyone could take the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on the same roster, herp derp.”

Well. They haven’t.

Nor should Knoblauch wonder in April about his fate beyond the season. The total mental focus is on the Stanley Cup.

Lock him up. In a good way, of course.

That way, if the Oilers start 2-7-1 in their first ten games, they’ll have to find another way besides firing the coach.