"Makes no difference, McDavid won't get his cup": EDM fans indifferent to major Oilers coaching staff revamp including Paul Coffey's exit

The Edmonton Oilers have revamped majority of their coaching staff after back-to-back Stanley Cup Final losses. Head coach Kris Knoblauch, who took over from Jay Woodcroft in November 2023, has been handed the keys to the kingdom, and has brought in Paul McFarland, Peter Aubry and Conor Allen to his coaching staff for the 2025-26 season.

Oilers legend and Hockey Hall of Famer Paul Coffey is set to return as a special advisor to ownership and team operations, after spending the last two seasons as the defensive coach. Oilers also chose to not extend goaltending coach Dustin Schwartz's contract, and have released him from the team after 11 years in the role.

Edmonton Oilers fans did not take too well to the major revamp in the team's coaching staff. Majority of the fans felt that barring a change in current goaltenders - Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, the Oilers will not get over the hurdle of beating their opponents and help Connor McDavid lift his first Stanley Cup.

New Edmonton Oilers coaching staff bring experience from prior NHL stints and other minor hockey leagues

Paul McFarland was an assistant coach with Florida Panthers and Toronto Maple Leafs between 2017-2020. The following season, he became the GM and HC of OHL's Kingston Frontenacs. He returned to the NHL in 2021 when the Seattle Kraken were added as an NHL expansion team and was with the team 2024. He was most recently behind the beach of the WHL's Calgary Hitmen in the 2024-25 season.

The Oilers chose not to re-sign goalteding coach Dustin Schwartz, who had spent 11 years in that position. He will be replaced by Peter Aubry, who was the Chicago Blackhawks developmental goalie coach from 2015-24. Aubry will be reuniting with ex-Blackhawks and current Oilers general manager Stan Bowman.

Conor Allen will the making his first NHL coaching appearance as the Oilers' skills coach. He spent last season working with USA Hockey's under-17 team and the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers in a similar role as his designtion in Edmonton.

About the author

Srihari is an NHL Assistant Content Manager and writer at Sportskeeda with over 2 years of experience. An engineering graduate in electrical and electronics, he spent one year as a Programmer Analyst at Cognizant.

Srihari understands news reports are time-sensitive and to ensure no compromise on quality, he engages in running thorough and extensive research. He includes unique and first-to-market stats after vetting them through sources that are trusted league-wide to give the readers most accurate information. He also boasts of a strong network of NHL reporters and enthusiasts for acquiring valuable information.

The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are Srihari’s favorite teams in the NHL. He likes players who are eye-catching with their skills and speed, and believes Oilers star duo Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and Leafs' Auston Matthews are three of the best players in today's game.

When he’s not writing or watching the NHL, he binges on highlights of NBA games. He also loves to play outdoor sports like cricket, basketball and occasionally soccer. Srihari also plays Valorant, FIFA, Call of Duty and other games in his free time. He hopes to add playing the piano to this list soon.

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