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The Edmonton Oilers are about to hit the road again with two games out west against Seattle and Vancouver, still searching for the kind of consistent rhythm that defined them last spring. They’ve managed flashes of their true form through the first stretch of the 2025–26 season, but things are far from stable. Ahead of the road trip, Knoblauch spoke candidly after Friday’s practice session about a group that has yet to find its identity through eight games. “We’re not playing very good hockey right now,” he admitted. “We’ve got to improve a lot of things puck play, being a little faster, quicker, pursuing pucks… once we get more comfortable with each other, we become a little more predictable. And when you become more predictable, you play faster.” That push for cohesion is probably the throughline of Knoblauch’s earlyseason evaluation. Kris Knoblauch opines on Trent Frederic’s game If there’s one theme that’s run through Knoblauch’s sessions with the media in October, it’s adjustment. The Oilers have a new look this year with several fresh faces slotted into the lineup and others still finding footing after injury-shortened campaigns. The head coach estimated that seven of the team’s thirteen active forwards are, in effect, new to Edmonton’s system as either true additions or players like Trent Frederic who was injured for much of last season. That churn has created a learning curve. Frederic, Knoblauch said, is still “trying to find his game.” “I think with a lot of guys just not making, uh, enough plays with the puck. Um, and, um, you know, feeling that pressure. Um, you know, he’s a player that we’re going to rely on to play a little on the edge, some physicality, and right now, um, you know, would like to see a little bit more from him,” he explained. The coach wants to see him lean into his edge and physicality but acknowledges the challenge of bouncing between positions in a lineup that’s still being tinkered with. “Hopefully we can have some stability for him so he can play to his identity,” Knoblauch said noting that comfort often breeds confidence. The same applies to Ike Howard, Edmonton young forward who has begun to look more like a full-time NHLer. Knoblauch’s assessment of Howard was nuanced and patient. “Early on, things close very quickly in this league,” Knoblauch said. “He was a little overwhelmed, just getting used to that speed… Now he’s starting to make some of those plays. Things aren’t closing in. He’s been able to move his feet. He knows how much pressure he’s under. That’s been the biggest improvement.” Knoblauch has rewarded Howard’s steady growth with an extended look alongside Connor McDavid even if he was frank about the temporary nature of such opportunities: “For him to be there for the next 74 games, probably not. There’ll probably be some changes. But right now, the way he’s playing, he deserves that.” The Oilers are now trying to blend veterans with first-year players, proven producers with prospects who bring speed and energy but are still learning the details of Edmonton’s pace-and-possession game. Knoblauch wants to let youngsters play their ‘own game’ Confidence has become a recurring word in Knoblauch’s answers. He credited Howard’s skating and anticipation as reasons he’s been able to keep up on a line with McDavid, but also emphasized the need to “play your own game” even alongside the sport’s biggest star. “There are conversations, yes,” Knoblauch said of managing a young player’s mindset next to McDavid. “But sometimes the best thing is not talking about it and just letting them do their thing. We’re putting him there because we think he’s been playing good hockey, and we don’t want him to get away from it.” That emphasis on natural confidence echoes across the Oilers’ dressing room. Knoblauch has seen value in the youthful energy that players like Howard and other first-timers scoring their “firsts” have brought. “It’s good to have new and different personalities,” he said. “Those young guys bring that.” The youthful wave has come alongside a string of veteran milestones that remind the team of its established core. Knoblauch also noted that Adam Henrique recently reached 1,000 career games while Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will hit that same milestone later this season. Leon Draisaitl’s 400th goal and Stuart Skinner’s 100th win are also in view as achievements that tie the Oilers’ long-term identity to its current ambitions. Cleaning up before the road The 6–5 win over Montreal was show into both sides of the Oilers’ start. Aresilient group that can outscore mistakes and a disorganized one that too often falls flat. Knoblauch said the team reviewed the game extensively both immediately afterward and again the next morning identifying details that have to improve. The Oilers’ puck management and forecheck pressure all came under the microscope. So far after eight games Edmonton’s goal differential sits at –1, their scoring ranks in the league’s bottom third,and their Simple Rating System (SRS) score places them 24th overall. Now, the Oilers head to Seattle and Vancouver, two divisional opponents whose structure and pace will test whether Edmonton can clean up its game. These next two contests could serve as a litmus test for where the group really stands.
