Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft is the betting favorite to be the first NHL coach fired this season, according to Bet Online. Woodcroft is at the top of the list at +200, followed closely by Ottawa Senators coach D.J. Smith.
Woodcroft being listed as the favorite seems logical enough, as the Oilers have started out the season a complete mess at 2-8-1 with just 5 points on the year. It's a drastic swing for an Oilers team that won 50 games, finished 2nd in the Pacific Division, and tied for second in points in the Western Conference with the Colorado Avalanche last year.
While it's still extremely early, the Oilers need to pull out of the slide quickly for Woodcroft to retain his position. A start this poor shouldn't happen with arguably the best player in hockey, Connor McDavid, out on the ice. McDavid hasn't played to his usual standard to start the season, however, scoring just two goals in nine played games thus far.
Time may be running out on Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft
Woodcroft will likely be allowed more time to pull the Oilers back into contention, as this is a small sample size of play. Woodcroft would become one of the most successful coaches to ever get fired this quickly into their careers, as Woodcroft has a career points percentage of .645. That's the 8th-highest mark of coaches in NHL history with at least 100 games coached.
Ottawa's D.J. Smith seems like the much safer bet, as the Senators look primed to miss the postseason for the fifth straight year under his watch. Smith has a career .465 points percentage.
There is something to be said for how badly the Oilers are currently losing games, however. Woodcroft's team has been outscored 47-29 through the first 11 games of the season, which has featured games against some of the NHL's best teams.
An upcoming matchup against the winless San Jose Sharks could carry some serious weight for Jay Woodcroft and the Oilers as he fights to avoid being the first coach fired for the 2023-24 NHL season.
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