BLOG: Oilers 'knew exactly what they needed' hiring new coaches, says Knoblauch

EDMONTON, AB – Analyze, assess and react to bring in the coaches that fit your staff best.

The Edmonton Oilers took the patient and pragmatic approach to filling out their coaching staff amidst a changing landscape this summer – an approach that Head Coach Kris Knoblauch believes yielded the best possible additions to their bench to help maximize each player’s potential for the 2025-26 NHL season.

“I think everybody brings a little bit of a different element, and you don't want to have all the same guys," Knoblauch said on Monday. “You need energy and analytical thinkers. I think we were able to just sit back, wait a little bit, and then after Glen was hired, we really moved on with that process of interviewing for all those spots.”

On Monday, the club named Paul McFarland an Assistant Coach, along with Peter Aubry taking over as Goalie Coach and Conor Allen being hired as the team's Skills Coach as a trio of new faces in Oil Country on the staff who’ve been handpicked to bring their fresh perspectives and ideas to an Oilers group that’s coming off their second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Glen Gulutzan, who served as an assistant coach for seven seasons in Edmonton, departed on July 1 to take over the head coaching duties for the Dallas Stars, along with Skating Coach David Pelletier joining him as an assistant. Dustin Schwartz did not have his contract renewed by the Oilers to serve as goalie coach for his 12^th season.

Mark Stuart was retained as an assistant coach to oversee the penalty kill and will take over the defence from Paul Coffey, who’ll return to his previous role with the club as Special Advisor to ownership and hockey operations after serving as an assistant for the last two seasons under Knoblauch since his hiring as head coach of the Oilers on Nov. 12, 2023. Video Coach Noah Segall was also signed to a contract extension.

“I feel we’ll still have conversations with Paul, and Paul will still give us his insight on how the team is playing and what we should be doing, which will be a great benefit for our coaching staff, especially with so many new guys coming in,” Knoblauch said. “Now with Paul stepping away, that traditional defensive coach, Mark Stuart is going to slide into that position.”

With three potential vacancies, the big question of the offseason was how they’d fill those coaching roles and responsibilities moving forward.

As a busy offseason progressed, Knoblauch and the Oilers began considering ways to revamp their coaching staff for the upcoming season to get the most out of their roster, and they knew precisely what types of candidates they’d be looking for once they knew there’d be vacancies on their bench.

“It was obviously a busy end of the year,” Knoblauch said. “We played right to the Stanley Cup Final, Game 6, and then you get into preparing for the NHL Draft and then Free Agency. We weren't sure on how many coaching changes we were going to have to make, and Glen going to Dallas changed that a little bit. That was a process.

"We wanted to wait until it was done so that we knew exactly what we needed and could fill out our coaching staff.”

Peter Aubry will serve as a new voice for netminders Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard after the 48-year-old most recently served as an associate coach in the NCAA with the University of Nebraska-Omaha, having spent the previous eight seasons from 2015-23 as a developmental goalie coach for the Chicago Blackhawks and the goalie coach of their AHL affiliate in Rockford.

Aubry will hope to bring a bit more consistency to the goaltending position for the Oilers after both Skinner and Pickard combined to a sub .900 save percentage in both the regular season and playoffs last year despite some stellar runs from each netminder.

“In this organization, we're always looking at ways that we can get better, and we're looking for ways to push our goaltenders and make them better,” Knoblauch said. “There are times when they're exceptional, and there are other times when we want a little bit more from them.

“I think with Peter, he'll be able to push those guys and bring a different perspective to elevate them to play at their best more often. I think Peter's been a guy who's spent a lot of time working at the pro level. He's been in the American League for many years and has played at the college level, but I think he's ready for an opportunity like this, and we feel that this is the time.”

Assistant Coach Paul McFarland takes over the power play from Gulutzan and has six seasons of NHL experience doing so for the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and most recently the Seattle Kraken, which is a key factor for the 39-year-old who's also served in head coaching roles at the junior level for the OHL's Oshawa Generals, Kingston Frontenacs and WHL's Calgary Hitmen.

"I know a lot of coaches who are familiar with him who've spent a lot of time with him and have a lot of respect for him," Knoblauch said. "A hard-working guy, brings a lot of enthusiasm to work, and I think that's a good attribute to bring to our team. Another is that he's been running an NHL power play for many years, and power play success is determined a lot by the personnel that you have. I think he's done a heck of a job getting the most out of the personnel that he's had, but he's had success with those good power plays in Toronto and Florida.

"I believe he'll be able to bring that over and establish a good, strong working relationship with the players we currently have on our team."

Skills Coach Conor Allen, who previously worked as an assistant for USA Hockey's U-17 National Team Development Program (NTDP), will work one-on-one with Oilers players to create individual development plans that focus on fostering skills that can translate to better results on the team side.

"I think it's something that's going to evolve over time, but out of the gates, it's really about working with players individually and creating individual development plans," Allen said. "We get our players to be better from September through the end of the season and really focus on the individual side, and that obviously translates to the team side as well. Just working with players individually and getting them a nice plan that they can follow with realistic timelines.

"Day-to-day, that means some video, on-ice sessions before or after practice and just being there for the players and giving them an individual look at it, even though it's a team sport. Give them an individual feel to development and getting better."

The 35-year-old said in an interview with Bryn Griffiths on 880CHED's Oilers NOW on Tuesday that there were only 10 days between interviewing for the position and accepting the role on Monday, showing how fast the process moved once the Oilers determined the status of their coaching staff.

Allen played seven NHL games with the Rangers and played in 284 AHL games over his playing career before retiring from professional hockey in 2021 and will be a full-time coach with the Oilers, who will be watching from above instead of on the bench, where it will be Knoblauch, Stuart and McFarland.

"I'm going to really enjoy being up top, and in terms of what my responsibilities are, I think that's a great place for me to sit as well and really see the ice and see things develop and just get a different perspective on these players than being on the bench," Allen said. "And honestly, you miss things on the bench, right? You've got to call lines. There's a lot more responsibility and things going on, so that up top things are a little bit slower. I really think that's the best place for me."