If Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman has his way, head coach Kris Knoblauch won’t be going anywhere.
Knoblauch, who guided the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in his first two seasons at the helm, will head into the 2025-26 season on the final year of his three-year deal.
But Bowman is confident that Knoblauch’s career in Edmonton is just getting started.
“I think Kris has done a fantastic job,” Bowman said Saturday after the end of the NHL Draft. “For sure want to get something done with him. The fact that he’s got another year, we got a lot of other stuff we’re going to sort through here, but I do expect to get to that in time.”
Knoblauch was hired early in the 2023-24 season when the Oilers fired head coach Jay Woodcroft after a disappointing 3-9-1 start.
Over nearly two seasons in Edmonton, Knoblauch has a 94-47-10 record in the regular season and a 29-18 record in the post-season.
Prior to joining the Oilers, Knoblauch was the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate.
Knoblach also previously coached Oilers star Connor McDavid for three seasons with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters.
McDavid, like Knoblauch, will also head into the 2025-26 season on the final year of his current contract.
And while Bowman didn’t give any specifics on a timeline for a possible extension, he said Friday that the Oilers are very “eager” to get discussions started with McDavid and his team.
