The pressure is mounting around the Edmonton Oilers after an early playoff exit derailed what many believed could be a Stanley Cup season. Now, Edmonton’s hunt for a new head coach has turned into one of the NHL offseason’s biggest storylines.
With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl right in the middle of their championship window, the Oilers know there’s little room for another disappointing season. That growing sense of urgency is exactly why a surprising coaching candidate is beginning to generate some buzz around the organization.
Hall of Fame Goalie Linked to Oilers’ Head Coach Job
The Oilers never truly found consistency during the regular season, finishing second in the Pacific Division with a 41-30-11 record and 93 points. While that was enough to secure a playoff berth in a weak division, it likely wouldn’t have been enough to qualify in the Eastern Conference.
Even so, Edmonton entered its first-round series against Anaheim as the clear favorite, especially with McDavid and Draisaitl leading the charge. Instead, the Oilers were eliminated in six games, a disappointing result that ultimately cost head coach Kris Knoblauch his job despite leading the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances and having three years left on his extension.
Now, Edmonton is searching for a new voice behind the bench, and veteran Oilers journalist Jim Matheson believes one notable name deserves serious consideration. “One coach Oilers should talk to is Patrick Roy,” Matheson said.
Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy only became available because of a stunning late-season collapse with the New York Islanders. On April 5, 2026, with just four games remaining in the regular season, Islanders GM Mathieu Darche fired Roy after a four-game losing streak severely damaged the team’s playoff hopes. Peter DeBoer was brought in as his replacement, leaving Roy available for another NHL opportunity.
While the Islanders are still paying the remaining two years on Roy’s contract, Edmonton can still interview him, since it’s unlikely that the Islanders will stand in their way, given they have DeBoer at the helm.
Not everyone is convinced Roy is the right fit, however. One Oilers fan questioned Matheson’s reasoning, saying, “Why? His track record isn’t very exciting.”
Matheson defended the idea, replying: “He squeezed as much as he could out of Isles with no offence.”
Roy’s fiery personality has always divided opinion, but his coaching résumé is difficult to ignore. He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year with the Colorado Avalanche in 2014 and captured a Memorial Cup title in junior hockey in 2023. Few coaches understand pressure-packed hockey markets better than Roy.
ALSO READ: ‘Embarrassing’: Oilers Insider Lashes Out at Ex-Maple Leafs HC’s Candidature For Top Job
Now, the question is whether Edmonton views him as the right coach to guide a veteran roster still chasing a Stanley Cup with Connor McDavid one year away from being able to discuss a contract extension.
