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Oilers looking to extend contract for head coach Kris Knoblauch, Stars set to hire Glen Gulutzan

Originally posted on Oilersnation | By Zach Laing | Last updated Jun 29, 2025 4:00 PM ET

Big news on the coaching front in Edmonton, as the Oilers are working on a contract extension for head coach Kris Knoblauch.

Oilers general manager Stan Bowman revealed the news Saturday in a post-draft press conference.

“I think Kris has done a fantastic job,” said Bowman. “For sure we want to get something done with him. I think the fact that he’s got another year, you know, we’ve got other stuff we’re going to sort through here, but I do expect to get to that in time.”

Bowman, who is entering his second year in Edmonton, has sung the praises of Knoblauch, saying ahead of the Stanley Cup Final, “I don’t think he gets enough recognition for the way that he’s managed this group through this season.”

Other changes will be coming to the coaching staff, too, as over a decade after he left the state of Texas, Glen Gulutzan is set to return. Multiple reports on Sunday indicated the Dallas Stars will name him head coach after interviewing him last week.

Working as an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers for the last seven years, Gulutzan has been one of the few names linked to the Stars’ vacant head coaching spot, which opened up a week after the Oilers eliminated Dallas in the Western Conference Final when they fired Pete DeBoer.

Glen Gulutzan has been offered the @DallasStars head coaching job. Negotiations on contract are underway.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 29, 2025

The Stars and Glen Gulutzan are finalizing details on a contract to be the next head coach in Dallas

— Sean Shapiro (@seanshapiro) June 29, 2025

Gulutzan has been a mainstay on the Oilers coaching staff working under five different head coaches: Todd McLellan, who he was hired first to work under, Ken Hitchcock, Dave Tippett, Jay Woodcroft and most recently, Kris Knoblauch, working with the working with the forward group and running the power play.

The Oilers will now be tasked at hiring a replacement, as well as making decisions on the rest of their coaching staff — all of whom have seen their contracts expire. Bowman said Saturday they’re working on finalizing those decisions.

“We have our staff that we’ve been reviewing over the last few days here, and we’re going to continue,” he said. I think we’ll probably have that sorted out in the coming days.”

There’s a possibility the Oilers see wholesale changes to their coaching staff. Paul Coffey, who has worked with the defencemen, has been here since before Knoblauch was hired, but was sent down to the bench from his role advisor to owner Darryl Katz. Mark Stuart was hired ahead of the 2022-23 season on Woodcroft’s staff, working with the defence and the penalty kill, while the longest serving member, goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz, has worked with the team since the 2014-15 season.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Sunday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast that the team was considering changing goaltending coaches.

“I do think one of the things they’re going to consider is going to be a change at the goalie coach,” he said.

This article first appeared on Oilersnation and was syndicated with permission.

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