Oilers HC Kris Knoblauch breaks silence on moving Paul Coffey in major shakeup

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch addressed the media on Monday regarding the moves in the team’s coaching staff. Specifically, Knoblauch referred to Paul Coffey’s exit as an assistant coach.

Coffey, who had been an assistant with the Oilers since 2023, has returned to an advisory role with the team.

Knoblauch praised the Hall of Fame defenseman’s role behind the bench, stating:

“Very fortunate to be working with him for the two years. I was happy to be working with him in that first year and we weren't sure if he was coming back for the second year, but luckily for us, he did decide to come back.”

Coffey took over for Dave Manson as the assistant coach in charge of working with defensemen after spending time as a special advisor. Now, Coffey will return to an advisory role in Edmonton.

Knoblauch added:

“Throughout the year, we have a lot of conversations, we added a lot to the coaching staff and then got to the point where you're not sure when he was going to step back and just have another role within the organization or what he was doing before. You got to that point where that the change was going to happen.”

Lastly, Knoblauch decided what the team can expect from Coffey moving forward:

"We'll still have conversations with Paul and Paul will still give us his insight on how the team's playing, what we could be doing, which will be a great benefit for our coaching staff, especially with so many new guys coming in."

The team hopes the changes behind the bench will pay off as the club looks to make it to its third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance. After losing twice in a row to the Florida Panthers, the Oilers will try to finally get over the proverbial hump this upcoming season.

Major changes in Oilers' coaching staff for next season

Paul Coffey’s departure from behind the Edmonton Oilers bench was not the only change in the team’s coaching staff.

The club announced the hiring of Paul McFarland as the team’s power play specialist. McFarland will be taking over following Glen Gulutzan’s move to the Dallas Stars as their new head coach.

McFarland spent last season as the head coach of the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen. The last three seasons, he was an assistant coach with the Seattle Kraken.

The club hopes McFarland’s experience running the power play for clubs like the Kraken and the Toronto Maple Leafs before that will help the Oilers maximize their lethal play with the man advantage.

Meanwhile, Coffey’s role with the Oilers’ defensemen will shift to Mark Stuart, whose contract was extended. Stuart had worked as the team’s penalty kill coach. Now, Stuart will assume the role of defense and penalty kill coach.

Also, Peter Aubry will serve as the team’s goalie coach, with Connor Allen the club’s skills development coach.

Edmonton's coaching staff will be looking to support Knoblauch in building a solid team this upcoming season. The team’s roster has gone through several key changes, mainly in its bottom six.