Cold ice, hot seats: 3 coaches who might not make it to the end of the season
By Jim Lynch
2. Jay Woodcroft, Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers finished the month of October with a record of 2-5-1, losing to teams like the Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers to kick off the season. After a month of hockey, there is no denying something needs to change in Edmonton.
The Edmonton Oilers are 26th in the league in goals against, on average giving up 4 goals a game. Even with some of the best offensive stars, giving up four goals a night is not a recipe for success. This is Woodcroft's third season with the Oilers after taking over the team midway through the 2021-22 season, and even though his record is 78-37-13 overall, his time in Edmonton might be running out.
The Oilers are struggling once again to get their bottom six to produce. Ryan McLeod and Dylan Holloway both have not registered a point this season, and Connor Brown also hasn't registered a point after being one of the big offseason additions for the team. Edmonton went to the second round last season and lost a close-fought series to the eventual Stanley Cup Champs. If any team can go from making a coaching change to winning the Cup, it would be the Oilers, but only time will tell.