Oilers coach Knoblauch comments on his future with team as training camp opens

Coaches never like to be in the «lame duck» position of entering a season without job security, but that's exactly where Knoblauch is. The Oilers coach is under contract for only this season, but re-signing him should be no issue.

When asked about his contract status to open training camp, Coach Knoblauch didn't shy away from directly stating that he wants to stay here and hopes a contract is completed before the season - so a deal sounds likely to be completed.

It's hard to believe that Knoblauch hasn't even coached 2 full seasons, but has been to 2 Stanley Cup Finals. When he took over the Oilers coaching job from Jay Woodcroft on November 12, 2023, the Oilers looked like a hopeless team - nowhere close to being on the verge of 2 Finals appearances.

Since then, Knoblauch nearly immediately turned the team around and has led the Oilers to a 94-47-10 record under his watch.

That's the best points percentage for a coach in Oilers franchise history, and 3rd all time of NHL coaches with more than 100 games.

Getting Knobaluch signed is clearly the right move after the success he's had with the team. It'll be interesting to see the term of the contract though, as head coaches are lasting shorter times with teams in recent years. A deal for the Oilers' bench boss should be announced in the coming weeks.