The NHL coaching carousel keeps spinning, and Kris Knoblauch just got thrown off. After leading the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in his first two seasons and securing a playoff berth in his third, Knoblauch was fired on Thursday—proof that in this league, job security is about as stable as a puck on edge.

This move came just days after reports surfaced that the Oilers were trying to poach Bruce Cassidy, a coach who knows a thing or two about being shown the door himself. Cassidy was let go by the Vegas Golden Knights weeks before their playoff return, despite leading them to a Stanley Cup title in 2023. Before that, he was fired by the Boston Bruins after guiding them to the playoffs in five of six seasons, including a 2019 Cup Final appearance. The Golden Knights initially blocked Edmonton's request to talk to Cassidy, which only fueled speculation that Oilers GM Stan Bowman was already hunting for a replacement.

"We just felt that we needed a different voice to lead us to where we want to get to," Bowman said on Thursday, summing up the harsh reality of a league where even success isn't always enough.

This isn't a new story for Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who beat Knoblauch's Oilers in the last two Stanley Cup Finals. Maurice has been fired so many times he jokes about it. But he's found his groove in Florida, and he knows what makes the difference.

"After you spend some time in the league, you start to understand the importance of style and fit in coaching," Maurice said back in 2022 when he was announced as the Panthers' head coach. "The fit has to be with management and ownership. When I stepped back from the game, I kind of made myself a deal that I was going to only ever consider going back if all the pieces were there. I want to enjoy my job and I want to enjoy my life. In order for that to happen, you have got to be in a place where your family can thrive."

For Knoblauch, that fit just wasn't there in Edmonton—no matter how close he got to hockey's ultimate prize. As the coaching carousel keeps turning, it's a reminder that in the NHL, even a trip to the Final doesn't guarantee you'll be behind the bench the next season.