OverDrive - Knoblauch on the Oilers' coaching perspective, the opportunity with McDavid and Draisaitl's injury and the Stanley Cup Playoffs approach

Episode Date: March 25, 2025

Edmonton Oilers Head Coach Kris Knoblauch joined OverDrive to discuss the headlines around the Oilers, the team's progression with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl's injuries, the timeline to return to the ice, the depth receiving a large opportunity, Evander Kane getting back in the lineup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs' perspective and the approach to the games and more.

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your team responded really well over the weekend with the absence of those two guys, your two best players, your two leaders. I'm curious how you see it. You know, is it possible this is a silver lining for other guys? You know, obviously you'd prefer Connor and Leon to be playing, but you allow other guys to elevate

and maybe have a little bit more skin in the game. Could that benefit your team come playoff time the fact that these guys are out right now and other guys have to step up? Well I'm sure they were trying to look into as many positives as possible you know you never want to lose those two guys and winning games every night is more difficult when they're not playing but I think in the long, I think it's good for our team, allows other guys more opportunities to find their game. We've got some guys that probably haven't played as well

as we expected or they expected. And here's an excellent opportunity when those two big guys that line up, just everyone's goal is increased, their ice time is more. And it's a lot easier way for them to find their game and contribute more. Chris, obviously Conor Leon had a massive presence on that team and specifically on the power play.

So what is the conversation like between you and other coaches when you now have to figure out a new zone entry or new places for two guys on the power play. It's been so good for so long. Yeah, absolutely. The power play has been run through those two and those two have been calling pretty much the dish or the playmaker on that and Leon with so many power play goals. But I feel that we've got a lot of power play quality guys.

A lot of guys have been on first units for many years and haven't been really part of it this year. Two guys I'm thinking of are like Arvitsen and Jeff Skinner. Those two guys have been good power play guys but have been kind of a really insignificant role with us so here's their opportunity to you know they were on our first unit powerplay the other night and no they're not gonna replace and be as good as car and Leon but they are pretty good powerplay guys and and it was nice to see those guys you know and Henry and other guys been good on the powerplay

he scored the other night so you know it, they're not as good as those other two, but they are pretty good quality NHL power play guys. Here's their opportunity to contribute more in that area. Speaking of, you know, silver linings, we were asking, you know, outwardly in terms of Leon and Connor, the idea of other guys stepping up. What about in terms of what they're going through right now? They're obviously fighting injury by all accounts based on the reporting and I believe what you've been saying with the media. It doesn't sound like you guys are overly concerned come playoff time that these are injuries that both players should be able to rehab through and

feel good about themselves once they do return. But the idea of them getting some rest some rest you see any benefit to that you think that that could be a boost for both players come playoff time it all depends on how long those injuries hold them out you know if they're hold the hell out right up in the middle playoffs you know for them first game and after a few weeks and it's a playoff game you know that's probably not beneficial now do we think we're gonna get to that point? No. And, you know, I think the rest is good.

I think right now it's, you know, difficult for us. It makes us harder for to win hockey games. But in the long run, it's good for our team. One, those other guys we mentioned before are getting more opportunities to find their game and really contribute. And then Connor and Leon getting a little break and hopefully being well-rested for the playoff run.

You know, Leon would definitely benefit from this, but probably no more anybody than Connor because of, you know, how many minutes he plays in the regular season-age game. And you know, he didn't get a break in February like almost everyone else did. So I think it would be beneficial for him. Chris, you now have eight defensemen that I believe are healthy. How do you balance keeping everyone involved and playing some games, but also trying to get some continuity as you head through the stretch driving into the playoffs? Yeah, that makes it a little more difficult.

And through the playoffs or other season, you always have injuries. And ironically, last year and even this year, we've been very fortunate not to have many injuries on the back end. And right now, we feel that we've got our five guys that we're going to be rotating or not rotating, playing regularly in their position. And then probably just rotating our sixth defenseman who know one of those three right-handed defensemen and so it's not like we're disrupting it completely we've got our pairs and guys are going to be playing regularly together there are some fluctuation but

not very much and I think just with where they're slotted in and guys aren't necessarily moving from left to right and back and forth. It's You know, I don't think it's that much of an adjustment for anybody Chatting with Chris Knobloch head coach of the Edmonton Oilers Oilers Stars tomorrow night. We were referencing Vander Cain we've seen some video of him practicing and He's obviously been out all year and he had the injury, he had the surgeries, still no clarity necessarily on when he'll be at 100% healthy and prepared to play. But we asked you earlier the idea of guys being injured like a Connor, like a Leon,

and how difficult it can be if they miss a few weeks and try to jump on a moving train come playoff time. How larger is the gap if you consider Evander's scenario? Like if he's a hundred percent ready to go come game one, do you picture yourself being comfortable playing him and how much can you expect out of him? Well, we all know how good Evander is

and what a quality player he is, especially in the playoffs when things are more physical and areas just try and score more difficult, you know, those two things are very important for the playoffs, scoring and physical play. So if Evander's available, healthy to play, I think he'd be able to help us in some way. Now there's been you know a long long stretch that he hasn't played and it'll come down to how does he look in practice? How does he you know how is he moving? How is his skill?

Those are reps you know give the guys confidence and our coaches coaches confidence to put him in. But hopefully, in the long run, the surgeries and the time off has been good for him and he's able to come and help us play. There's going to be some rust, but I would think that down the long run, after a little bit of time, he'd be able to help this team win some hockey games. You know Chris, your trade dental acquisition Trent Frederick is a little bit different situation. He hasn't played with the orders before. Are there ways you can support him and kind of get him thinking about how he might play

with a certain center or different centers or different situations to kind of help him hit the ground a little bit quicker running as you get closer and closer to his time to return? Yeah, it's going to be nice to have Trent back with us and join us. Obviously, we've seen him for a few weeks now, but it'll be nice on the ice. And I think he's itching to get out there. He's getting closer and closer. He's been on the ice for some very, very light skates on his own. And we're hoping within the next week or maybe a little bit longer that he's joining the team and having actual practices. But where he fits in the lineup, it could be anywhere from first to third line playing any position, left wing, center, right wing, and that's

something he's been very comfortable doing in the past. I know he's played a lot of time in the center. I was having a conversation with him and he just typically was used to center in the playoffs through his career, more right wing. This year he's been more left wing. So it's nice having the versatility of a player you know from coaching standpoint being able to move guys up and down and and he's able to do that so exactly where he fits in the lineup time will tell we got to find out exactly how things are going when Leon and Connor are returning you know how are the lines playing like the N Nugent-Hopkins and

Pott Coles and then Victor Arbittson line has been so good. Is it gonna continue to play like that? And then it gives us some other options with other lines. So I don't know. It's too early to tell exactly where he's gonna fit in. With Chris Knoblogg, head coach of the Oilers, last year you guys obviously had an incredible stretch run when you took over behind the bench. You get all the way to game seven of a cup final. I'm curious, you know, what your messaging has been this year

in terms of drawing off last season. Have you done that at all? Do you intend on doing that come the playoffs? Or are you a clean slate guy and you've tried to just push the past behind you and new season, new history and whatever happens happens? How do you approach the history of the team and specifically what happened last year and

apply it to this year? I think last year we liked to, everyone knows what happened and obviously it was a fairly successful run, obviously it wasn't the ultimate. But I think the most important thing for our team was to turn the page and move on from last year because of it's going to be a different story. We've got a different team. We've got, we're going to have different story. We've got a different team. We're going to have different obstacles. Other teams have been getting better in certain areas. We've got numerous players that weren't with us last year. I think the run last year was good. That will help us in the future

just through adversity and being able to overcome a lot of obstacles because we've got the confidence to know that we can do it. But I don't feel comfortable comparing last year's team to this year just because there's so many things that have changed. Chris, you're now going into your second playoff run and what did you learn about yourself and how you kind of manage those emotions and those decisions now going to the second, what will be a playoff run for you in the NHL. Just trying to sustain the moment as much as possible and use your resources to help make a lot of decisions and a lot of planning goes into it. Where during those games they get a little stressful and there's a lot riding on certain

games whether it's a game seven against Vancouver or game six we're holding on against Dallas so we don't have to go back to Dallas. There's a lot of things. I think just being prepared for those situations and I think the best way to get prepared is just communicate with my players. And more importantly, even my, um, the coaching staff on knowing what, um, you know, what the pre-scout is, what the other team's looking to do, what are their strengths, uh, what are we looking to do and staying one head of the other team on possibly any adjustments they're going to make, how are we going to react to that?

So I think the more conversations you have, and a lot happens in the coaches room in between games that help you get prepared for those. And then also, and just, you know, just, and I talked about being prepared, but you can, you can also be over prepared and well, maybe not so much on the coaching side of it, but for the players. I think it's very important for the players to play their best, that they're free and they're not overburdened by so much information because ultimately it comes down to them being on the ice and being able to play on their instincts.

And if you're over-coaching, it makes it harder for the players to play their best Have you have have you had any players at any point in your career NHL? American League or whatever actually push back on you on that front and say I don't need to know that or You know your it's overload at this point. Like if you have you had any experiences like that No, I don't think I've ever had a player say any experiences like that? No, I don't think I've ever had a player say, no, this is too much because I think it'd be... It may not, you may not respond well to it.

The coach, the player'd be like, like I'm not interested in this and this doesn't mean very much to me. I just know that I usually see the players and it's paralysis by analysis where there's just so much information. They just, so something, yeah, I think it's good for the players to feel good and just plan their instincts and not be overburdened.

I think it's important that the players know exactly some tendencies of the other team. You know, I've seen other coaches put together playbooks on just all information on other players and I think it's good to know the team and who you're playing but you get down to the details on a defenseman doesn't pivot well on the right opposed to his left side and he likes to shoot this spot and it's just, yeah he might do it sometimes. And I know I remember seeing a coaching junior and I remember seeing a office from an opposing team. And I like, I was looking at this information from each of our players. I was like, I don't even know that information about my players.

Coached them all year. So I'm not even sure any of this is true. And here you are giving this to your players. So I just think it's, their information is good to give the players but you got to be careful how much you're giving them too. Yeah and especially in the OHL. I mean guys aren't reading that stuff in the O. There's no chance they're reading all that information. No chance. Well and I guess I'll get you out of here with a question in line with that thinking in terms of, you know, I've asked

coaches before, you know, how do you juggle staying in the moment, but also being aware that your players might be scoreboard watching or might realize, okay, there's different goals in mind. And you guys are currently in a race. You still win the division, certainly home ice, you know, you're right there with LA. You're five points back of Vegas. You still play Vegas again. How do you juggle that, Chris, in terms of, I'm sure you'd prefer home ice.

I'm sure you'd prefer to win your division. Why wouldn't you? But at the same time, making sure that your players and your team are just, you know, in the moment and prepared for the game tomorrow night. How do you juggle the two? Like the goal in mind in terms of the big picture, but also the goal in mind in terms of what's right in front of you? I don't know, that's a difficult one. I know everyone's watching and they

should be watching because then they're interested and they actually know what's going on, but if it gets distracting on your play, then it's an issue. And it's just as a coach, you just have to remind players of what we are doing. And we can only control what we can control. And we necessarily can't control who's LA's playing and necessarily the opposition that LA's playing

if they put in their backup goalie or not. So ultimately it just comes down to what we're doing and putting ourselves in the best position to win a game, but also building our game so it's better. So when we are in the playoffs, we are playing well. Well, it's a big one tomorrow night. It's gonna be a fun game. Enjoy it. Good luck tomorrow night. Good luck down the stretch. I really appreciate you doing this. Thank you, Chris.

Thanks for having me, guys. You got it. There's Chris Knoblok. And when it comes to country, it's the true north all the way. Loud and proud. An all new digital radio station from coast to coast. Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud.