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Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch Reveals His Goaltending Plans for the Upcoming Season

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 12:47 PM ET

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch reveals that his plan and that of new goaltending coach Peter Aubry will be to challenge both Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard.

The Edmonton Oilers announced a number of coaching changes behind head coach Kris Knoblauch in preparation for the upcoming season.

Hall of Fame defenceman Paul Coffey is being shifted from behind the bench back to his position as a special adviser to ownership and hockey operations.

Assistant coach Mark Stuart will retain his duties running the penalty kill and now assumes responsibility for the defence.

Power-play specialist Paul McFarland is the new addition to the staff, taking the place of Glen Gulutzan, who departed to coach the Dallas Stars.

Paul McFarland was last the head coach of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen and spent three seasons with the Seattle Kraken. He has also worked as an assistant with the Panthers and Maple Leafs.

Goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz, who held the role for over a decade, was replaced by Peter Aubry.

Peter Aubry worked with the Blackhawks AHL affiliate most recently

Peter Aubry brings NCAA and AHL experience, most recently serving with Nebraska-Omaha and the Chicago Blackhawks' AHL affiliate in Rockford.

The decision follows an uneven playoff performance in goal. Stuart Skinner played in 15 of 24 playoff games, with Calvin Pickard dressing for nine.

Kris Knoblauch spoke about his plans and those of the team's new goalie coach for the upcoming season, and what can be done to improve it.

'It was a very, very difficult decision to make that change, but in the organization, we're always looking at ways that we can get better,' Knoblauch explained.
'We're looking for ways to push our goaltenders and make them better. There's times where they're exceptional. There's other times where we were wanting a little bit more from them. With Peter, he'll be able to push those guys and bring a different perspective and hopefully, elevate them to get those guys to play at their best more often.'

Connor Allen was also brought in for a skills development position. The 35-year-old spent last season with the U.S. Under-17 squad and previously with the Sioux City Musketeers.

Knoblauch inherited Stuart, Schwartz, and Coffey when he took over from Jay Woodcroft in November 2023. Coffey filled in for Dave Manson at that change. Knoblauch will now have two assistant coaches behind the bench rather than three.

While Edmonton's power play struggled in 2025, it was among the NHL's best in previous seasons. Meanwhile, the penalty kill, a strength in 2024, regressed slightly. The team also extended video coach Noah Segall as part of the staff changes.

This article first appeared on Hockey Latest and was syndicated with permission.

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