Edmonton lost the 2026 Western Conference First Round in six games to the Anaheim Ducks after finishing second in the Pacific Division (41-30-11), two points behind the first-place Golden Knights. Oilers captain Connor McDavid and forward Leon Draisaitl said they were both concerned that the championship window was in danger of closing following the earliest playoff exit since they were swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2021 first round.
"I think we're definitely part to blame for where we are today. We're not trying to hide from that," Bowman said. "There's no question that was the case here. We have a team where we had players that didn't perform to the level they should, we had players that I brought in that didn't perform to the level that we expected them to, so it's on myself. There's blame to be had by all of us, myself included. … So, this is not all on Kris Knoblauch and Mark Stuart. That's not the case. But in the assessment, we believe that there can be some better performances from players here. And we need that for our team to be successful."
McDavid said the Oilers were "an average team with high expectations" after a 5-2 loss to the Ducks in Game 6. The finalist for the Hart Trophy given to the NHL most valuable player will enter the first of a two-year contract he signed Oct. 6, 2025, and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2027-28 season. Draisaitl will enter the second of an eight-year $112 million contract (average annual value of $14 million) next season.
"It's only a couple of days ago I made those comments, and I feel the same as I did a couple of days ago and agree with Leon that the organization as a whole has taken a step back," McDavid said. "It starts with me, it starts with Leon, we all can be better, we need to be better."
Knoblauch was to enter the first of a three-year contract he signed Oct. 3, 2025. He was the first coach in more than 55 years to guide a team to the Stanley Cup Final in each of his first two seasons and sixth in NHL history. His replacement will take over a current roster that has played more postseason games (81) than anyone since 2022.
"We had a disappointing end to our season, losing in the first round," Bowman said. "And when you take the season as a whole, it was a year where we were never able to get going. It wasn't just a slow start or a tough stretch in the middle of the year, those things happen to all teams. You have some ups and downs but we didn't have a lot of ups this year, we were kind of right around the middle all year long.
"When we performed our analysis and review about where we were headed as a team, we just felt that we needed a different voice to lead us to where we want to get to. Difficult decision, without a doubt. But it was based upon the way this entire year played out."
McDavid, 29, and Draisaitl, 30, are the top two scorers in the League since McDavid's rookie season in 2016-17; McDavid has 1,220 points since then and Draisaitl has 1,044. Forwards Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman are 33. Mattias Ekholm is 35, followed by fellow defensemen Darnell Nurse, 31, and Jake Walman, 30.
"I do see a path, but it's going to take everybody to be better," McDavid said. "It's weird to talk about development for veterans, but us veterans need to find a way to get better and develop and everybody does, because that's the only way it's going to change."
Knoblauch is the sixth coach to be fired this season. Rick Bowness was hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets to replace Dean Evason on Jan. 12, D.J. Smith took over the Los Angeles Kings after Jim Hiller was fired March 1, John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy with the Vegas Golden Knights on March 29, Peter DeBoer was hired by the New York Islanders after they fired Patrick Roy on April 5 and the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube on Wednesday.
"When Kris came into the Oilers, he was the perfect coach at that time. He was exactly what that group needed to win almost the Stanley Cup, Game 7 and then Game 6 (in back to back Cup finals)," Bowman said. "But as time passes, things change. … At this moment in time, where we are sitting here today talking, we made the decision that we think a different voice can help us get to that next level."
NHL.com staff writer Derek Van Diest and independent correspondent Gerry Moddejonge contributed to this report
