The offseason has come much earlier in Oil Country than it has over the past few seasons, and that means that big changes are likely on the way.

Over the next few weeks, I will be looking at the five biggest questions that will define this summer for the Oilers and, in turn, could wind up defining the Connor McDavid era.

If they play their cards right this summer, then they could set themselves up to have at least two more runs with McDavid on their roster.

If this summer goes poorly, then, as Leon Draisaitl so eloquently put it, “god knows” what could happen.

Part one of my five defining question series starts with the man behind the bench. 

Should the Oilers move on from Kris Knoblauch?

For most Oilers fans, the answer is obvious. Some were clamouring for a coaching change at different points during the regular season, but at that point, all Knoblauch had done in his few seasons behind the bench was lead the team to Stanley Cup Finals.

I believed that he deserved another crack at showing that he could get this team to play their best hockey come playoff time.

That obviously didn’t happen and both he and his coaching staff are a pretty big reason why.

This team only won three games in a row twice over the course of their 82-game regular season. That falls on the coaching staff as much as it falls on the players. They couldn’t consistently play at their highest level for even a week straight at any point in the season.

It’s not just the confidence of the fan base either. There are a few other signs........

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