The NHL has plenty of head coaching vacancies right now. But one big name is not expected to jump into the mix anytime soon.

Former Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is staying out of the market for now. That is the word from TSN's Ryan Rishaug, who shared the update on X.

The 47-year-old was fired earlier this month after Edmonton lost to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round. And while teams would likely line up for him, Knoblauch is in no hurry.

"Kris Knoblauch would likely be a candidate for any of the current openings but my sense is he will not step back behind an NHL bench right away or engage in the application process for some time," Rishaug wrote.

There are a few reasons for that. His family recently moved to Edmonton, and he still has two years left on his three-year contract.

"With family recently relocating to Edmonton and some breathing room with his three year contract, I'd expect him to be out of the mix for the time being after a long couple of seasons," Rishaug added.

That is bad news for two Canadian clubs hunting for a new coach. The Toronto Maple Leafs fired Craig Berube on May 13 and the Vancouver Canucks let go of Adam Foote on May 19.

Knoblauch's resume is hard to ignore. He took over for Jay Woodcroft in November 2023 and led Edmonton to the Stanley Cup Final in his very first season.

The Oilers lost that series to the Florida Panthers in seven games. They made it back to the Cup Final the next year too, only to fall to the Panthers again, this time in six.

This past season was a different story. Edmonton finished 41-30-11, good for second in the Pacific Division, before losing to the Ducks in six games.

After two deep playoff runs, the early exit was a tough pill to swallow. And it ultimately cost Knoblauch his job, with Oilers GM Stan Bowman explaining the reasoning behind the call.

Stan Bowman Explains Decision to Fire Kris Knoblauch

The Oilers made it clear on Thursday that they believe Knoblauch is not the answer going forward. Despite back-to-back Cup Final runs, the team wants a new voice behind the bench.

GM Stan Bowman pointed to the entire season, not just the playoff exit. "It was a year we never were able to get going. It wasn't just a slow start or maybe a tough stretch in the middle of the year," he said.

"Those things happen to all teams; you have some ups and downs, but we didn't have a lot of ups this year," Bowman added. The numbers backed him up.

Edmonton's offence stayed strong, finishing sixth in the NHL with 282 goals. But the defence fell apart, giving up the eighth-most goals at 265.

The team's streak of four straight 100-point seasons also ended. "Difficult decision, without a doubt, but it was based upon the way this entire year played out, not just small sections or just the playoffs," Bowman said.

There were also reports that Edmonton asked Vegas about Bruce Cassidy but was denied. Bowman would not comment on that, saying it was "not appropriate."

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Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar