The notion to fire Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch after a first-round playoff exit borders on ridiculous. Bringing in a sixth coach in 11 years screams desperation, and dismissing a coach before his three-year contract extension begins reeks of instability.
Coaching Carousel Continues
According to the pink slips, blame for not turning 11 years of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl into a champion falls on the coaches. It was Todd McLellan's fault, then Ken Hitchcock's, then Dave Tippett's, then Jay Woodcroft's, and now Kris Knoblauch's. To close the book on the guy who got Edmonton to two Stanley Cup Finals in a row because of one sub-par year — when a burned-out team had all four centres injured — is Decade of Darkness stuff. The Oilers should be beyond that.
Players Need to Take Some Blame
The underlying issues right from the start of the McDavid/Draisaitl era have been roster construction, salary cap management, asset management, and draft picks. That is not a coaching problem. At what point does the finger of blame get pointed at the leadership core? The last thing a player wants to be known as is a 'coach killer,' but six different bench bosses in 11 years would absolutely move Edmonton's core guys into that category.
Bouch Bomb: Norris Snub Not Injustice
Personally, I think Evan Bouchard should have been nominated for the Norris Trophy on the strength of 95 points and the ability to deliver in big moments, but I do not see it as any miscarriage of justice that he was not. It is curious how some of the people so horrified that Bouchard is not among the three finalists are also saying he is not No. 1 on their ballot. How does that work? If you are allowed to factor the complete picture into his not being No. 1, you are allowed to factor it into his not being 2 or 3.
Don't Shoot the Messengers
Again, I think Bouchard should be in the mix. He is a brilliant passer, shooter, and power play quarterback, and his good far outweighs the bad. But I am not going to cast aspersions on anyone who disagrees. When this large a cross-section of hockey people (around 200) come to a conclusion, you cannot dismiss it as not knowing what they are talking about. These are the same people who vote on the Hart Trophy, and in 10 of the last 12 years, their winner was the same as the Ted Lindsay Award, which is voted on by the players.
