Oilers coaching change could come next week

There seems to be an ultimatum on the table for Edmonton Oilers head coach Dave Tippett. The Oilers are falling down the NHL standings since Dec. 1 when they were sitting atop the Pacific Division with games in hand. However, the team has posted an abysmal 3-9-2 record scoring just 2.57 goals per game while allowing 3.71 goals against per game since. Oilers general manager Ken Holland is finding out he needs to make changes now before he loses the season and it might all start next week with a coaching change.

Per ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, if the Oilers were to lose their Jan. 10 game against the Ottawa Senators, it would be the perfect time to make a change.

“Ken Holland the GM — it’s important to note in all of his years in Detroit he never made an (in-season) coaching change. I’ve talked to a lot of sources in the league who don’t know what Ken Holland is going to do, but if he does make a move, January 10th is their next game, they play the Ottawa Senators. If they lose to the Senators, there will be a lot of pressure from fans and that would be the time to do it as they have 10 days before their next game. If they do make a change, I get the sense the Oilers wouldn’t go for one of the re-treads on the market like a Claude Julien who would be looking for term. Instead, look for them to promote either Glen Gulutzan, he’s an assistant on the staff, obviously has head coaching experiences or Jay Woodcroft who is running their AHL team right now. But it’s definitley an inflection point in Edmonton right now. Everyone in the league is curious about what will happen here. The other thing on Tippett: it’s the last year of his contract. If they don’t go far in the playoffs, you can definitely expect a new coach behind the bench next year.”

Kaplan tells it like it is.

It has become more and more clear that a coaching change is needed in Edmonton, and it might come as soon as next week.