Today's decision by Ken Holland and the Edmonton Oilers to fire head coach Jay Woodcroft was not a surprising one. The Oilers are digging themselves a deep hole with the horrendous start to the year they have had, one that will be difficult to get out of and into the playoffs. All the while, many had this Oilers team pegged as a potential Stanley Cup Champion.
It was obvious that a shakeup was needed in Edmonton, and the Coach is usually the first to go. What was eyebrow-raising, though, is how the press conference went afterwards. GM Ken Holland was caught in a lie, saying he consulted the players on the decision, while Oilers President Jeff Jackson immediately said that wasn't the case.
The contradictory responses are the worst look possible for the Oilers right now. Not only does it exacerbate that they are in crisis mode, but it also looks like the executive isn't on the same page in getting the team out of it.
The decision to get rid of the head coach is generally an easy one to make when the team is struggling. However, many fans are speculating that because the Oilers chose to bring in McDavid's former OHL coach, they are doing all of this just to keep him happy and in Edmonton in the long term.
