According to recent reports, the Edmonton Oilers brass are at odds

The Edmonton Oilers entered the 2025-26 season with massive expectations after going to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals appearances. Both times the club ended up on the losing end, making their expectations even bigger.

To say the season has been a rollercoaster for the Oilers would be an understatement. At the quarter season mark, they were firmly outside of the playoff picture and although they are in a Pacific Division spot now, the struggles continue to bubble under the surface.

According to the 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast, Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch and general manager Stan Bowman have been at odds throughout the season.

Oilers head coach and general manager are at odds

The 2 Mutts track record is spotty when it comes to Oilers reporting but there is enough smoke to raise some alarm.

They report that Bowman is not Knoblauch's top supporter; "They don’t see the game the same way. Kris is currently the Head Coach still because of Jeff Jackson."

This does make some sense given that Knoblauch was hired before Bowman took over but now given the success of the team, there is very little leg for Bowman to stand on to fire Knoblauch.

"We believe Stan Bowman would have preferred not to sign an extension with Kris this year & let this season play out to see if an extension is worth the investment if the team had success."

Of course, this is unsubstantiated but if true, signals some real issues in the front office. Again, given the success that the Oilers have had under Knoblauch, it is hard to justify firing him and had the Oilers left Knoblauch as a lame-duck coach, it would have been a major distraction for the club all season.

This is also a familiar story with Bowman who was reportedly at odds with longtime Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville.

Oilers have struggled this year

The Oilers entered the season with the tandem they have taken to the last two Stanley Cup Finals but were forced to switch them out based on their early season results. The Oilers got rid of former starter Stuart Skinner, who was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in December and recently Calvin Pickard who was placed on waivers to Tristan Jarry and Connor Ingram.

Now even their current tandem has struggled at times with Jarry being pulled in his most recent start and has only played three games between the pipes for the Oilers with a save percentage above .900. On top of the goaltenders, there are issues on defence and with their depth forwards.

There seems to be a disconnect within the organization, something that is highlighted with the differences in who some are pointing fingers at. This season has been difficult with the condensed schedule due to the upcoming Olympic break.

There is still over a quarter of the season left and it will be interesting to see how it plays out.