The Edmonton Oilers are coming off a much-needed 6-3 win over the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Before that, they had dropped three straight and were clearly searching for their game. With the victory, Edmonton improved to 10-9-5 and now sits fifth in the Pacific Division.

However, even with the turnaround, their shaky start has fueled plenty of speculation about potential coaching changes, with head coach Kris Knoblauch’s name at the forefront.

Is Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch at Risk of Being Fired?

The Oilers currently rank 19th out of 32 teams and haven’t looked like the dominant group that made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, losing both times to the Panthers. Their slow start has raised questions across the league.

During the FAN Pregame podcast, NHL insider Frank Seravalli suggested that Oilers owner Daryl Katz may consider making a coaching change if things don’t improve. Seravalli noted, “I don’t think that Kris Knoblauch is completely out of the woods; we also know how volatile their owner can be; I think that’s a situation worth watching.”

This wouldn’t be the first time the Oilers made a quick coaching change. Jay Woodcroft was fired under almost the same circumstances after Edmonton stumbled to a 3-9-1 start in 2023–24. And even though Knoblauch has taken this team to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, a sluggish start like this doesn’t guarantee him much job security.

Seravalli also mentioned in a recent “Insider Notebook” that potential changes aren’t limited to the head coach. Assistant coach and defensive specialist Mark Stuart could also be feeling the heat. Edmonton’s defensive issues have been hard to ignore. They’ve given up 85 goals already, one of the highest totals in the league.

Stuart replaced Paul Coffey as the team’s defensive coach this past summer. Under Coffey, the Oilers’ defense moved the puck well and protected the net at a much higher level. Rumors have already surfaced about the Oilers potentially bringing Coffey back, especially given the success he had guiding the blue line during Edmonton’s two Cup Final runs.

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Seravalli explained: “I think (Coffey) had butted heads at various points with members of the coaching staff because of his hard edge, but that intensity is also what made the Oilers’ defense more formidable. He kept everyone on their toes.”

He continued, adding: “Not a perfect situation with Paul Coffey but you can’t argue with the results because the Oilers defended much, much better previously under his control.”

For now, the Oilers haven’t made any moves, but pressure is clearly building.