** Uodate: Kris Knoblauch did confirm on Thursday that Katz was the one who initiated the idea of Coffey returning but gave Knoblauch power to decline.

The optics of Paul Coffey returning to the Edmonton Oilers are less than ideal. Here's what we think we know...

Coffey wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of joining the Oilers as a coach in the first place. Back in November of 2023, reports indicated that when first asked to shift over from his role as Daryl Katz's advisor to the bench, Coffey said no.

It took multiple asks before he finally accepted the position, feeling both that he didn't want to let his owner and friend down and that he didn't want to live with the regret of never at least trying to step behind the bench. He said he wouldn't have done it for any other teams, and this was a personal favor. 

Things worked out well, and the Oilers made two incredible playoff runs, reaching the Stanley Cup Final twice in 2024 and 2025. They fell short both times against the Florida Panthers, and it wasn't until the second failure to win it all that Coffey returned to his old role. 

Jason Gregor of Oilers Nation wrote, "Seven months ago, Knoblauch made the decision not to bring back Coffey." In other words, as much as it might have been Coffey telling himself he tried, and it didn't pan out, Knoblauch seemed just as ready to go a different way. 

Some suggested there was friction between the two. We don't know that to be the case. What we do know is that they seem to have different personalities and different coaching methodologies. That's not abnormal for any team that has several people working together to push an elite, competitive team in the same direction. 

Knoblauch is calm. He's often stoic, and some might say overly patient. Coffey is fiery, sometimes preferring the in-your-face approach.

So, if Knoblauch was good to move on, and Coffey was good to leave, why is he back? 

Whether this was Katz's call or not may never be known. Logic suggests he might have said, 'Coffey, get back in there. The team needs you.' We just don't know that to be the case. 

Maybe Knoblauch made it known that he was feeling like he had lost some of the room. It seems unlikely a coach would admit that, but comments from Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid might have made it clear that Knoblauch was feeling internal pressure. If he was man enough to admit things had gotten off the rails a little, Coffey was the quick fix that didn't require a total coaching overhaul. 

“I have been in regular contact with Paul since last summer, and I believe we will benefit both as a team and as a staff from his return at this time,” Knoblauch said after the news of Coffey's return. He added that the move provides "a little jolt" and "new perspectives," which is important for an Oilers team needing to change direction amid a tough stretch.

Maybe this was Coffey's doing. The way he resisted taking the assistant coaching job in the first place suggests otherwise, but if he was close to the team, watching from the sidelines and pulling his hair out because he sees the team's struggles and knows he can help, it wouldn't take much for him to tell Katz, 'We're running out of time... Put me back in.'

If Coffey had asked, Katz likely would have approved without much hesitation. Coffey himself said, “I’m excited to return and work alongside Kris and the entire staff. With 24 games left in the season, there is ample time to build on the many positives and build momentum for another long playoff run.”

Evan Bouchard noted, “I think it’s valuable for everyone... Yeah, I think it's a familiar face, which is nice for everyone, and we know we have to step it up in the second half of the season. So, a little shake-up, maybe a good thing for us.”

Jake Walman said, “He’s definitely a figure behind the bench that a lot of people respect and look up to. Obviously, he’s got that, I’ll use the words aura, when you walk in the room.”

Mattias Ekholm and others echoed the respect for Coffey's in-game communication, vision of the game: "He sees the game in a way that probably not a lot of other human beings do."

Players know. They know when things are right. They know when someone has the ability to fix what's wrong. They know they can play better, but this season has proven it's going to take the right voice and the right approach to get them out of their funk and playing better, more consistent hockey defensively. 

Maybe this was the players. Would it really be that hard to believe that, after the leaders made the comments they did, the top defenders on the team might not have said their piece? A few votes for Coffey might have made the decision to make this move easier. 

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