Breaking: A coaching change is imminent for the Oilers.

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Ryan Hall
November 5, 2023 (8:16)

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When a professional sports team goes through an early-season slump, their fan base and fans of their league will begin to speculate on what will happen going forward.

The standard rumour is that the head coach will be the first to go, as a general manager cannot trade away his entire team.

This situation appears to be unfolding with the Edmonton Oilers as their early-season struggles continue to worsen. The team currently has a record of 2-7-1 through 10 games of play. The play on the ice has looked subpar, with a porous defence and poor goaltending.

According to TSN's Ryan Rishaug, who hosts the morning mandate, it appears that the Oilers' management team is preparing to make a change behind the bench and free up cap space.

This start was certainly unexpected, as the team essentially retained its lineup from last year's model, as General Manager Ken Holland felt they deserved a second chance at making a run for the Stanley Cup.

What's even more surprising is that the record of head coach Jay Woodcroft before the beginning of this season was rather stellar in terms of wins and winning percentage during the season.

Many fans have reached out on the X platform, explaining who they feel would be a better coach for the Oilers and their star players. One coach who continues to come up is the former New York Rangers head coach, Gerard Gallant.

Gallant has seen success with the teams he's coached before being dismissed. He was the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, the New York Rangers, the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Florida Panthers.