Knoblauch quietly making right moves as Oilers coach entering Western Conference Final

EDMONTON -- Kris Knoblauch is a quiet coach who doesn’t shy away from difficult decisions.

Such has always been the approach for the Edmonton Oilers coach, who is heading to his second Western Conference Final in his second NHL season.

“I don’t think he’s changed his coaching style,” said former NHL defenseman Steve Smith, who was an assistant to Knoblauch with Hartford of the American Hockey League. “He’s got a calm demeanor, he’s very methodical about his ways, very calculating. He’s a great guy that the players like and he thinks things through. I think he has that calm demeanor on the bench because he’s processed everything before the game started.”

Knoblauch and Edmonton will face the Dallas Stars, who eliminated the Winnipeg Jets with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 6 of the second round on Saturday. Game 1 of the best-of-7 series will be at Dallas on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ESPN, SN, TVAS, CBC).

The coach was able to unlock the winning combination for the Oilers immediately after arriving on Nov. 12, 2023, hired to replace Jay Woodcroft 13 games into the 2023-24 season.

At first glance, a team anchored by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl would seem easy to lead to success, but the string of coaches who have come and gone during the forwards’ time in Edmonton would suggest otherwise.

Knoblauch replaced Woodcroft, who took over from Dave Tippett, who succeeded Ken Hitchcock, who came after Todd McLellan, who was hired prior to the 2015-16 season. That all took place in the 10 seasons McDavid and Draisaitl have been together.

Prior to that, Todd Nelson, Craig MacTavish, Dallas Eakins, Ralph Krueger, Tom Renney and Pat Quinn had turns as coach after MacTavish’s first stint ended following the 2008-09 season.

“Every coach has their different nuances and unique way of coaching, but he definitely has that calm demeanor,” said forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has played for 10 coaches during his 14 seasons in Edmonton. “Even when situations get tough, he stays pretty calm. Obviously sometimes he can do the other side of it … but his presence and his calmness helps when things aren’t going well. That’s one of the big things for him.”

Knoblauch has a 94-47-10 regular-season record and is 23-13 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Edmonton, which was 48-29-5 this season and finished third in the Pacific Division.

The Oilers were a win away from the Stanley Cup last season, losing 2-1 to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Final, and are eyeing a return trip this season.

Knoblauch has them halfway there.

“He’s so good with personalities and getting to know his players and knowing their deeper thoughts,” Smith said. “For me, he does everything well, but what he does best is that he’s a great relationship builder. Whether it’s with the staff, whether it’s with the players or the trainers and management, he’s the person that is liked by everybody.”

Edmonton advanced to the conference final this season with a five-game victory against Vegas in the second round. The Oilers eliminated the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round after losing the first two games of the series.

Part of Edmonton’s success is due to Knoblauch pulling the right levers.

He replaced goalie Stuart Skinner with Calvin Pickard for Game 3 of the first round, which led to six consecutive wins. Knoblauch inserted Kasperi Kapanen into the lineup in Game 4 of the second round -- his first game in nearly four weeks -- and the forward scored in overtime for a 1-0 victory to close out the series in Game 5.

Knoblauch’s lineup selections and line combinations have Edmonton playing its best hockey of the season, having won eight of nine games entering the conference final.

“Right away when he came in, he was doing that kind of stuff. He had to make some tough decisions early in his tenure,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “In [the] playoffs, obviously you always have to make those tough decisions, and he never hesitated, and I think that’s a great thing. He doesn’t dance around it, he just does it, and when you’re the coach you have do those kinds of things, and that’s been his mindset since coming in.”

Knoblauch’s decisions are not always popular among players who have to sit out, but when presented in a straightforward manner they can be a little easier to handle.

“You have to be honest with them,” Knoblauch said. “Maybe you get away with it once tricking them or whatever, but the next time, it’s all downhill after that. They want the truth. They don’t necessarily want to hear it, but they don’t necessarily want the alternative. I think it’s important you just tell them the truth [as to] where things are and what you’re thinking about.”

Knoblauch prefers to get his message across through dialogue as opposed to emotion. His calming presence on the bench reverberates throughout the team in the heat of battle.

“I think he’s pretty grounded and process-oriented,” forward Zach Hyman said. “It’s not necessary about the results but how we’re playing, and he has a good feel of when to mix things up and to stay the same. When somebody is feeling really good, he gives them more of an opportunity. When somebody is not, he’s able to manage the group pretty well and able to manage the lineup well.”

Knoblauch will seek input from those around him but always has the last word. And when a decision doesn’t work out, he will own up to it.

“That’s one of the best attributes of a good leader, making difficult decisions for the right reasons,” Smith said. “As a leader you make decisions that are very difficult and not always very popular, but you’re doing it because you feel it’ll benefit your hockey club. That’s what he’s always done and continues to do.”