Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Kris Knoblauch Snubbed for Jack Adams? It Makes No Sense

Originally posted on Trade Talk Sports | By Old Prof | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 5:56 PM ET

Regarding Spencer Carbery, the 2025 Jack Adams Award results leave one glaring question: how is the Edmonton Oilers’ Kris Knoblauch not even in the conversation?

Carbery had a great year in Washington. A 20-point improvement. First in the Metro. That’s all impressive. But if the Jack Adams is meant to reward the coach who contributed most to his team’s success, then how do you ignore the job Knoblauch did in Edmonton?

This wasn’t just a good team getting better. This was a team in crisis.

Knoblauch Led the Oilers From Chaos to Contender

When Knoblauch took over the Oilers’ bench in November of the 2023-24 season, Edmonton was 31st in the NHL. The season was spiraling. Instead of panicking, Knoblauch righted the ship. He trusted his stars, restored roles, brought the room together, and guided the team to one of the most dramatic regular-season turnarounds in league history.

They didn’t just improve—they soared. He did it again this season, building a strong team around elite players and an improved depth. The team can now even play stellar defense.

The Oilers finished second in the Pacific, posted one of the best second-half records in the NHL, and entered the playoffs playing their most balanced, structured hockey in years. This wasn’t just about wins and losses but a culture reset under pressure, executed on the ice.

What More Could Knoblauch Have Done?

Here’s the strange part: the Jack Adams voting is done before the playoffs. That should’ve worked in Knoblauch’s favour. By the time the ballots were in, his turnaround was clear. The Oilers are a different and better team this season. They are a more-disciplined, elite regular-season team again.

This isn’t to take anything away from Carbery. I might have voted for Carbery as well. But Knoblauch not getting into the top five of the conversation? Silly. Over his two seasons in the Alberta capital, he reshaped a fragile roster and a fan base in full meltdown and found a way to steer it back to strength.

Coach Knoblauch Is a Different Kind of Leader

Knoblauch doesn’t shout for attention. He doesn’t sell a brand. He wins. Quietly. Effectively. He connects with players in a grounded, personal way. And he built trust in a room that was dangerously close to losing it. That matters, especially in Edmonton.

Knoblauch deserved to be at the table if the Jack Adams Award truly honours the coach who most impacts their team’s success. Not fifth. Not on the outside. In the top three.

This wasn’t just coaching. It was triage. And a once crippled team is now in the running for the Stanley Cup.

This article first appeared on Trade Talk Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: