Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch continues to cement his place in franchise history. With a recent victory over the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, Knoblauch notched his 96th career NHL win, moving past former coach Dave Tippett to claim fifth place on the Oilers’ all-time wins list.
Knoblauch’s early success in Edmonton has been remarkable. In just 154 games at the helm, he’s won 96 (96-47-11), a winning percentage that is among the best in the NHL, particularly for the length of time he’s been an NHL head coach.
While he inherited a Stanley Cup contender, he came to the Oilers under less than ideal circumstances, replacing Jay Woodcroft early in a season and essentially being told to turn the team around or else. Knoblauch did just that, taking the team to the Finals, where they’ve barely lost out of the Florida Panthers in two straight seasons. A key factor in his success as a coach has been his ability to stay calm under immense pressure and his effective communication with elite stars.
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The franchise recently confirmed its confidence in Knoblauch’s abilities by signing him to a three-year contract extension, all while knowing that every decision could impact whether Connor McDavid re-signed with the team. Knoblauch signed, and then McDavid followed just days later.
This season, an important start is key for the Oilers, but so is bringing along some new faces, including young players who need to find success at the NHL level. If he’s able to do so, Knoblauch could realistically pass both Todd McLellan and Ron Low, moving him into fourth on the all-time list of Oilers coaches. He would need 56 more wins to tie Craig McTavish, which, while possible, would put them in elite company. That would mean the Oilers would go 58-23-1 on the season. That’s 117 points, and only the Boston Bruins (135 points in 2022-23), the Florida Panthers and Colorado Avalanche (2021-22), and Tampa Bay Lightning (2018-19) have done so in the past six seasons.
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