Edmonton Oilers

How Silly: Firing Jay Woodcroft Won’t Solve the Oilers’ Woes

The Edmonton Oilers are having a slow start. However, was Jay Woodcroft to blame? The Oilers management thought so? They fired him. Now what?

by
Old Prof
November 14, 2023

Amid the Edmonton Oilers’ turbulent season, the Oilers’ braintrust made a sudden move. Yesterday morning, General Manager Ken Holland fired Head Coach Jay Woodcroft after two years on the job. All Woodcroft had done was to coach the team to a 79-41-13 record and take them far down the postseason path – losing only to the eventual Stanley Cup champions during the past two seasons.

As Oilers head coach, he had put up the fifth most wins in the NHL since he signed a three-year contract four months after the Oilers fired Dave Tippett.

Although the question is a bit dated now after a quick decision was made, it’s still relevant to the future perhaps. This question is whether Woodcroft is responsible for the team’s challenges. Is he to blame for the team’s sudden collapse that came out of nowhere?

In this post, we’re going to make the case that Woodcroft is not the culprit. [By “we,” I’m adding the insights of long-time Oilers fan Mike Day to the mix. He fed me some understandings that I have included in this post. Thanks, Mike for your help.]

Three Key Reasons Why the Oilers Might Be Struggling

Reason One: The Oilers Depth Players Are Shaky

Similar to a number of other repeat postseason contenders, the Oilers find themselves top-heavy with big talent — think Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to name the two biggest talents. That leaves limited financial resources for building a fully functioning and helpful supporting cast.

This financial constraint is beyond the coach’s control. He has the players the general manager provides him. If he’s hindered by the team’s depth, it’s hard to point the finger at him.

Reason Two: Connor McDavid Is Injured

A second reason is that the biggest gun of all in the Oilers’ cabinet – Connor McDavid – is “off” his game. How injured he is might be tough to find out, but anyone who thinks the best player in the NHL is functioning at 100 percent hasn’t watched him or compared his play this season with his play over the past few seasons. Even if the Oilers had all the money in the world, McDavid can’t be replaced.

Jay Woodcroft Connor McDavid Edmonton Oilers

His wonky(ness) is an issue; and, that’s hard to pin on Woodcroft as well. But it’s likely a reason for the poor record.

Reason Three: The Oilers’ Goalies Are Subpar

Anyone who’s read my body of work over the past six seasons as I’ve covered the Toronto Maple Leafs has to know that Jack Campbell is one of my favorite people. I’d love to have him as a neighbor. That said, I wouldn’t have ponied up $5 million trusting him to be the kind of go-to starting goalie who can get you a ton of wins or steal you a handful of games every season.

When Campbell had his All-Star season in 2021-22, he was playing with a team that had a more solid team defense in the Maple Leafs. The Oilers are not that team. With a better defense in front of him, Campbell played well, putting up good numbers. However, the situation in Edmonton is different.

Now he’s waived and trying to resurrect his game in the AHL. Stuart Skinner is young and talented, but he too might not be fully ripened. Can he carry the team? Perhaps not this season.

The point is that none of these problems in the crease can be directly blamed on the coach.

The Oilers Coaching Carousel Is Turning Quickly

With a coaching carousel that includes names like Dallas Eakins, Todd Nelson, Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock, and Dave Tippett over the past eight seasons, the Oilers have experienced instability at the coaching helm.

In Jay Woodcroft, they had a homegrown coach who commanded respect from the players and put up the sixth-best winning percentage in the league since taking over. Under his leadership, the team secured four playoff rounds in the last two years, a feat not matched since 2006.

As McDavid noted today, there was no way that Woodcroft “lost the room.” It seems almost as if McDavid is embarrassed by any implication that he had a hand in the move to let Woodcroft leave.

Is There a Reason to Look More Closely at Holland’s Decisions?

Critically, amidst the short-term crisis that represents the Oilers’ current record, introducing more instability by parting ways with Woodcroft might not be the best recipe for success. However, the ongoing struggles prompt a broader analysis of General Manager Ken Holland’s role in the team’s path.

Certainly, there was a high level of excitement surrounding Holland’s arrival. However, in retrospect, one would have to think that by this time he’s cultured at least a few cynics about his decisions. But the same question keeps bobbing up to the surface: Is this all Woodcroft’s fault?

Yes, a Change Is Tempting, But …

With just less than one-fifth of the season in the bad, we get that the call for change was tempting. But, unless there’s something we don’t know behind the scenes, an analysis of the Oilers’ current problems suggests that Woodcroft might not be the donkey to pin the tail on.

Good luck to new coach Kris Knoblauch. He’s made the question about Woodcroft’s culpability moot. Now the biggest question is what’s the over and under for Knoblauch sticking more than two seasons?