Oilers hire coach with experience from two of their biggest rivals.

The Edmonton Oilers made a very interesting coaching hire last week, one that seems to have largely flown under the radar.

In what may have been a very shrewd move, the Oilers announced that they had hired Misha Donskov as a coaching consultant. While Donskov won't be a name that most immediately recognize, he has established himself as a prominent figure in the hockey world most recently being hired as vice president of hockey operations for Hockey Canada as well as their men's national team coach roughly one year ago.

Perhaps more importantly for the Oilers however will be what Donskov brings to the table as a result of his resume in the National Hockey League. Although he didn't work with an NHL team this past season, likely due to his large commitments with Hockey Canada, Donskov has previously worked very closely with some of Edmonton's biggest rivals in the Western Conference. Donskov previously served as director of hockey operations with the Vegas Golden Knights and was an assistant coach behind the Vegas bench when they won the Stanley Cup in 2023.

We all saw recently just how much Vegas wants to avoid their coaches getting into the hands of rival teams with them blocking Bruce Cassidy from speaking to the Oilers, although they have no such control over the Oilers ability to hire Donskov.

Donskov also previously worked behind the bench of the Dallas Stars for two seasons, another perennial contender in the Western Conference, having spent both the 2023-24 and 2024-25 season with the Stars. Although Donskov will work limited dates with the Oilers as a result of his commitments to Hockey Canada, this could be a low key move that brings a great deal of value to the organization this season.