Two ex-Oilers being strongly considered for Blue Jackets' coaching vacancy

Whenever the time comes for the Columbus Blue Jackets to name a head coach, don’t be surprised if it’s a former Edmonton Oiler who lands the gig.

The Blue Jackets are in the hunt for a new head coach after firing Pascal Vincent less than two weeks ago. Despite the short time frame, it appears that recently hired general manager (GM) Don Waddell is quickly going through the process and already has some favourites, two of which are former Oilers coaches.

Among the top candidates for @BlueJacketsNHL HC is Jay Woodcroft. Young, vibrant, relates well to today’s athletes, has had playoff success including a Stanley Cup 💍, and was a key part of the development & transformation in Edmonton. #cbj #HockeyX pic.twitter.com/GYlcSBCF4Y

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) June 26, 2024

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that Jay Woodcroft is being considered as a top candidate for the position. The 47-year-old spent parts of three seasons as the head coach of the Oilers before being fired this past November. In 133 games behind an NHL bench, he has a 79-41-13 record.

Hearing Todd McLellan is getting traction to be next coach in Columbus for the Blue Jackets. Their decision should be soon. pic.twitter.com/xQIlbRwvC6

— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) June 25, 2024

Another ESPN employee, John Buccigross, is reporting that Todd McLellan is garnering some serious interest from the Blue Jackets. The 56-year-old was most recently the head coach of the LA Kings but spent parts of four seasons behind the Oilers bench from 2015 to 2018. He sits 24th all-time in wins amongst NHL head coaches with 598.

Both Woodcroft and McLellan were liked by the vast majority of fans during their time in Edmonton. Many felt Woodcroft was given the boot too early off of a bad start, while McLellan wasn’t given much help in terms of roster talent from former GM Peter Chiarelli.

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