What a Full Season Under Paul Coffey Means for Oilers Defense

The Edmonton Oilers boast a roster filled with superstars, but the team’s early struggles last season proved that one of their most vital assets is behind the bench. When the new group of coaches took over, the Oilers went on an incredible run. As such, it’s not surprising that this week, head coach Kris Knoblauch confirmed that there will be no changes to the coaching staff for the upcoming season. Notably, Oilers legend and assistant coach Paul Coffey will remain in his role, continuing to play a key part in guiding the team forward.

Despite originally not wanting the job at all, there was some speculation at the end of last season that Coffey might go back to his role as an advisor to owner Darryl Katz. Coffey joined the coaching staff in November 2023 following the Oilers’ horrendous 2-9-2 start to the season. His impact behind the bench was felt almost immediately.

In particular, the defensive side of things improved dramatically, despite Coffey being known during his career as a player as an elite offensive talent. Coffey was tasked with fixing the struggling Oilers’ defense, and that meant giving them the confidence to go make plays. They did.

Elliot Friedman on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast stated that one of the first things Coffey wanted to do was “build a team within a team.” As a result, Coffey changed the Oilers locker room seating arrangement to have all the blueliners sit together. He wanted to create communication between the defense. It was a simple but incredibly effective change. 

How Effective is Paul Coffey’s Coaching on the Oilers?

Prior to Coffey stepping behind the bench, Brett Kulak and Vincent Desharnais pairing held a CF% of 49.65%. Simply put, they were allowing more shots to get by them than they were generating. Last season, under Coffey’s coaching, the same Kulak-Desharnais pairing recorded a CF% of 52.22%. While not a significant increase, it was enough to pull the pairing into a positive CF%. Which is significant in terms of having a shutdown defense.

Kulak and Desharnais aren’t the only pairing Coffey was able to elevate. Nearly every defensive pairing saw an improvement in their CF%, as they shifted from surrendering more chances than they were creating. In just a few months, Paul Coffey transformed a struggling Oilers defense into a confident and formidable unit, driven by strong communication and trust.

Coffey’s influence on the Oilers’ defense has been hard to miss, and with Knoblauch confirming his assistant’s return behind the bench, anticipation is building. The Oilers lost some key pieces from last season’s team, so Coffey will have to convert his message to a handful of new eager players. Again, he’ll have to “build a team within a team.” but there’s no doubt, based on his resume and success last year, he’ll have the undivided attention of every defenseman in that locker room.

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