Kris Knoblauch firing officially starts the Connor McDavid to Rangers clock

There is no rational reason for the Edmonton Oilers firing Kris Knoblauch on Thursday. Given the success he’s had in such a limited time, the decision feels less like an assessment of his performance and more like a shakeup because of what is yet to come It leads to one logical conclusion, and that is the Oilers are getting the sense that Connor McDavid has had enough. Today's decision could set off a chain reaction that results in No. 97 finally ending up on Broadway, and the New York Rangers need to be ready.

Edmonton doesn't want to admit what truly went wrong

The Oilers didn’t achieve their playoff goals this year, and while injuries played a role, the lion's share of the blame lies with the team Stan Bowman built. McDavid did the organization a massive favor by locking in a two-year extension at his existing $12.5 million cap hit, giving the front office the financial flexibility to surround him with championship-caliber depth. Instead, Bowman squandered that space on moves that failed to move the needle.

Oilers are making a massive gamble

By firing Knoblauch, the man who coached McDavid in Erie and served as his most stable professional mentor, the Oilers are attempting to spark a change in a group that was already one of the elite teams in the West for two years. It is a massive gamble. If the organization feels McDavid’s time in Edmonton is nearing an end, bringing in a new voice is one of the few cards they have left to play. They also would be making a decision in the best interest of the future of the franchise, and if they feel that won't include McDavid, then there is no reason to show any loyalty.

That said, the Oilers are playing with fire. Squandering the cap space McDavid graciously granted them could be looked at as strike one. Removing the coach he trusted most could be the next big nudge that he needs to look toward a market like New York.

Rangers offer McDavid everything he doesnt' have in Edmonton

The Rangers are retooling after releasing Letter 2.0, and in some ways, history is repeating itself. After Letter 1.0 in 2018, Artemi Panarin arrived in 2019 to kickstart a run to two Eastern Conference Finals. Now, the foundation is even stronger. Igor Shesterkin would easily be the best goalie McDavid has ever played with, and Adam Fox would be the most elite defender he's shared the ice with.

While he wouldn't be as familiar as Knoblauch, Mike Sullivan is a Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal winning coach with the track record that would appeal to McDavid's desire to win. Beyond that, there's a decent mix of established players and up and coming players, but it is hard to go into specific names because if they were to try and trade for him, you can imagine it costing a pretty penny.

You'd think that potentially include one of Alexis Lafrenière, Gabe Perreault, No. 5 overall and then some. That is, of course, unless McDavid makes an ultimatum that it is New York or bust. I don't expect that to happen, but I do expect Chris Drury to pay significant attention to this news. It is in his best interest to be smart with cap space, and look for opportunities to make the team more attractive if it becomes a case of having to land him in free agency.

For the Rangers and Drury, the logic is simple. If the best player in the world is unhappy because his current team can't build a winner around him, you offer him the brightest lights, an elite goaltender in Shesterkin, and a franchise ready to go all-in. The Oilers' decision on Thursday likely didn't just change their coaching staff, there's a good chance it may have officially started the clock on McDavid’s arrival in New York.

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