Oilers rumors: Edmonton players upset by Kris Knoblauch firing getting leaked

The Edmonton Oilers announced the firing of their head coach, Kris Knoblauch, on Thursday morning, a move that felt anti-climactic after rumors that Bruce Cassidy might interview for the role. Many wondered how the Vegas Golden Knights could decline an interview for their ex-head coach for a role that wasn’t actually open. The Oilers’ players weren’t too happy with how things went down, according to the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast via X, formerly Twitter.

“A few players, from our understanding, are upset with how this got leaked out to the public & handled by the management staff. Kris is liked & respected by the players,” the podcast’s account reported.

Knoblauch felt like a candidate to lose his job after how the season went for the Oilers. The back-to-back Stanley Cup runner-ups took a massive step back this season, and some of the blame fell on a coaching staff that some deemed too inexperienced.

The Oilers attempted to right the ship by bringing back Paul Coffey mid-season, but the damage might’ve already been done. They eventually lost in six games in the playoffs to the Anaheim Ducks.

While the coaching staff took some blame, the front office isn’t exempt from criticism for how it built the team, which included a goaltending “upgrade” that ultimately proved to be their downfall. With pressure mounting for Edmonton to have a Stanley Cup-winning team featuring Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and now alleged issues between the players and the front office, Stan Bowman and Jeff Jackson may not be out of the woods just yet.

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