Ex-Oiler Kris Knoblauch's NHL future looks clearer after coach signs new deal
Kris Knoblauch's path shifted Thursday when Lindy Ruff got more term in Buffalo, changing the timing around the former Oilers bench boss.
That's the real turn in this story.
Buffalo did not leave the door open on its bench. The Sabres backed Ruff with a new two-year deal that now runs through 2027-28.
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For Knoblauch, that changes the read right away.
The talk is no longer about an immediate fit behind Buffalo's bench.
It's about whether the timing lines up later.
That matters because Buffalo is not coming off a collapse. The Sabres just finished 50-23-9 with 109 points, which makes this a stability move, not a reset.
Knoblauch still carries weight around the league even after being fired by Edmonton on May 14.
His run with the Oilers ended with a 135-77-21 record, and that keeps him squarely in the next-wave coaching conversation.
Bob Stauffer pushed the Buffalo angle, but he did not frame it as a job opening today. He framed it as a timeline worth tracking.
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Buffalo now looks like a later play for Knoblauch
That's why Ruff's extension changes the whole conversation.
Buffalo can keep its current voice in the room while still looking at what comes next down the road.
There's another layer here, too.
If Knoblauch wants a softer return, an assistant role could give him a way back in without forcing a rushed jump into the top chair.
That possibility makes sense from Buffalo's side.
Jarmo Kekalainen would not have to sell Knoblauch as Ruff's replacement now, only as an added bench piece with future value.
The fit gets easier because Buffalo is no longer selling patience and hope. This is a club with pressure, a playoff-caliber roster, and a cleaner runway than it had a year ago.
Still, the risk is obvious. Knoblauch may not want to step into an assistant job after leading deep playoff runs and handling the heat that comes with Edmonton's bench.
But Buffalo's bench is no longer about urgency.
Ruff stays in place, and Knoblauch's future there now looks like something to watch, not something about to happen.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 20, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Dylan Coghlan | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Pavel Dorofeyev | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Nic Dowd | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Brett Howden | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Gabriel Landeskog | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Valeri Nichushkin | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Rasmus Andersson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ross Colton | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Eichel | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Tomas Hertl | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ben Hutton | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nathan MacKinnon | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mitch Marner | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Brandon Saad | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Colton Sissons | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Devon Toews | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jack Ahcan | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Barbashev | - | - | - | |
| Brent Burns | - | - | - | |
| Jack Drury | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||