In his short career as a head coach in the NHL, Kris Knoblauch has taken the league by storm. In less than two seasons behind an NHL bench, he has two Stanley Cup Final appearances.
Former Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett will never forget the two-and-a-half seasons he spent in northern Alberta. Tippett was hired by the Oilers on May 28, 2019, after spending the prior eight seasons manning the bench for the Arizona Coyotes.
The Edmonton Oilers’ 2017 draft class had plenty of promise at one point. Kailer Yamamoto was their first-round pick at 22nd overall and showed great potential early on.
NHL head coaches have to hire good assistants. They have to set an overarching philosophy, juggle lineup configurations, and do the kind of “man management” that is impossible to track statistically.
The Oilers entered December at 16-5 and leading the NHL's Pacific Division. Since that time, they've only won seven of their last 23 contests, are now 23-18-3 overall.