Analyst Suggests Reason Why NHL Teams Are Not Hiring Former Oilers Coach Jay Woodcroft
Former Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft was popular among fans and had success in Edmonton, but one Oilers analyst is pointing at one reason why he's still unemployed.
Woodcroft has been passed over by several NHL teams, most recently being beaten out by Todd McLellan to coach the Detroit Red Wings.
Analyst Jason Gregor recently spoke on Woodcroft missing out on another coaching job, and suggested that other teams are weary of hiring him after seeing Knoblauch right the ship immediately.
Gregor also pointed towards some questionable decisions from Woodcroft in the playoffs, a lacklustre penalty kill, and a reliance on analytics that may hurt him in some NHL circles.
Will Jay Woodcroft Get Another Coaching Opportunity in the NHL?
These are fair criticisms as to why Woodcroft's not hired yet, but it's not the full story. He had a successful record of 79-41-13 overall, but was sunk by brutal goaltending from Jack Campbell and Stuart Skinner to begin the season.
These Oilers netminders being totally unable to make a save in the fall of 2022 clearly demoralized the team, and Woodcroft may have lost the room.
However, shipping out Jack Campbell definitely had a bigger effect on the Oilers winning games than firing the coach. After that fateful loss to San Jose, everyone including Woodcroft knew that he'd be fired.
Woodcroft will surely get another chance in the NHL at some point. He may have to take some work as an assistant, but getting back to being a bench boss feels inevitable at his younger age. When he does, hopefully he doesn't have Jack Campbell in net.
At the end of the day, Kris Knoblauch has more than proven to be a perfect fit as the Oilers head coach. His calm demeanour, playing his cards close to the chest, and pushing the right buttons with line changes mesh greatly with the Oilers roster.
It must sting for Woodcroft to see the Oilers get to the Stanley Cup Final the same season he was fired, and it surely doesn't help his resume. Woodcroft will eventually get back to the NHL, but the Oilers definitely don't regret the firing.
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