NHL Rumors: Another Canadian Team Is Being Linked To Kris Knoblauch
Kris Knoblauch is still technically the head coach of the Edmonton Oilers.
He is also widely expected to be let go by the end of the week, per multiple reports, with the Oilers' pursuit of Bruce Cassidy having leaked publicly before any formal announcement was made.
Now the question is being raised, could Knoblauch, suddenly available, become a candidate for the Toronto Maple Leafs' coaching vacancy that opened the same morning Craig Berube was fired?
Why Knoblauch Makes Sense for Toronto
New GM John Chayka addressed the media Wednesday afternoon on their coaching search.
"I think we're going to start very wide and talk to as many people as we can with varying backgrounds," Chayka said, adding that experience coaching in a major NHL market is an asset in his evaluation.
Knoblauch has that experience in full.
He was hired by Edmonton in November 2023 to replace Jay Woodcroft with the Oilers sitting at three wins in thirteen games, and immediately changed the temperature of a franchise in crisis.
He led them to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, where they rallied from a 3-0 deficit against Florida before losing in seven games.
As of this moment — 11:37 a.m. MT — Kris Knoblauch has not been fired by the Edmonton Oilers.
— Mark Spector🇨🇦🇺🇦 (@SportsnetSpec) May 13, 2026
We are expecting that to happen however, likely by day's end.
He led them back to the Final again in 2025, making Edmonton the first team in 40 years to make back-to-back Final appearances.
The Hockey Writers made the case for Knoblauch in Toronto as far back as March, citing his ability to manage star players without losing them, how composed he stays, and helps his teams stay, in high-pressure situations, and his analytical approach..
"Down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Final two postseasons ago, Edmonton still believed," Jim Parsons noted. "That composure in pressure situations is exactly what the Maple Leafs need."
Toronto, like Edmonton, is an unforgiving market where coaches, like players, are judged on results and you have to be careful with the star players.
The Timing Issue
Knoblauch is still employed by Edmonton, and teams cannot approach him without the Oilers' permission.
That should change by the end of the week.
We are hearing tonight that the @EdmontonOilers & Kris Knoblauch are working towards mutual parting of ways this evening.
— 2 Mutts Hockey Podcast (@2MuttsHockeyPod) May 14, 2026
Official announcement is expected by the organization shortly.
A few players from our understanding are upset with how this got leaked out to the public &… https://t.co/D029iVE8wI
If Edmonton resolves its coaching situation in the coming days, Knoblauch enters a coaching market that suddenly has three openings in Toronto, Los Angeles, and eventually, Edmonton itself.
He will definitely be one of the most sought-after available coaches in the sport.
His record, two back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in two full seasons, speaks louder than whatever happened in Edmonton's first-round exit to the Anaheim Ducks.
Photo Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images
