In a recent interview on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer, NHL legend Chris Pronger offered high praise for veteran coach Peter Laviolette, calling him a strong candidate to lead the Edmonton Oilers in the 2026-27 season. Pronger, who played under Laviolette during the 2010 Stanley Cup final with the Philadelphia Flyers, outlined why the coach would be a perfect fit for the Oilers' current needs.
Pronger on the Oilers' Need for Change
Pronger emphasized that the team's top players have already acknowledged their shortcomings, setting the stage for a coaching change. “Your two top players have said it’s not good enough,” Pronger noted. “They need to be better. They have taken accountability, which is the first step. Now the coach’s head has gone on the chopping block. And now it’s up to ownership/management, the new coach, whoever that is, and then the players to get on the same page and figure out how to get this thing over the finish line.”
Laviolette's System: A Boost for Secondary Scoring
When asked about Laviolette's coaching style, Pronger highlighted his offensive system as a key asset. “Very detailed, very, he’s got an offensive system which I think when you look at the Oilers, a lot of the commentaries around, they need secondary scoring. They need more than the big guys carrying the load offensively. This system will help that from an offensive standpoint in how they get on the grind game and how they play below the blue line and below the dots. And then from a defensive standpoint, he has defensive structure. He’s going to put players in situations to be successful.”
Consistency and Motivation
Pronger stressed the importance of consistency, which Laviolette instills in his teams. “If anything, as we’ve looked at the last couple of years, sometimes you can get by with the offensive weapons you have and your goalies can get hot at certain times of the year. Players can play to their abilities and above at certain moments throughout the course of the year. But it’s the consistency with which you play night in, night out, week after week, month after month that really kind of allow a coach to show his metal and show what they’re all about.”
He added that Laviolette's motivational tactics, while demanding, are exactly what the Oilers need. “I think for Lavi, yes, he can grind on you at times. I think with some of his motivational stuff and the way he pushes you to compete night in, night out, period after period, shift after shift, he’s on you. But I think at this stage of the game, that’s what that team needs. He’s not a tyrant per se… But he’s going to push you to get the most out of you, you possibly can get.”
Proven Track Record in Short Windows
Pronger noted that Laviolette has a history of success in short windows, which aligns with the Oilers' urgency to win now. “But for that window, you’ve seen the success he’s had in taking teams to Stanley Cup Finals, obviously won with Carolina. We lost in 2010 in Philly. He took Nashville to the Finals. He has a system and he has the ability to get the most out of players in a short period of time, which frankly is what the Oilers need to over the next year or two years to try to get this team over the finish line and win a Stanley Cup.”
Defensive System: Aggressive with Layers
Pronger elaborated on Laviolette's defensive approach, describing it as aggressive but structured. “It’s aggressive, but it’s layers. It’s man on man, but there’s layers. If you’re coming out of the corner, you get beat, there is another layer there, albeit… there’s got to be communication and things of that nature.”
Learning Curve Expected
Pronger acknowledged that implementing Laviolette's system would require an adjustment period. “To really speak to what that team needs. From a defensive standpoint with their structure, there will be a learning curve and they will look out of sorts, I think, early on as they try to navigate where they should be on the ice and how they can support one another in a man-to-man situation versus zone like some of these other teams play. And so it’s really about ganging up on the other team in certain moments where you leave your man and you go and help your teammate hopefully get the puck and then go the other way. So there’s moments like that and a lot of that is taught through video, obviously practice and then game situations where early on, they’re going to need to learn on the fly.”
With the Oilers seeking a new direction, Pronger's endorsement of Laviolette adds weight to the coach's candidacy as the frontrunner for the job.
