New NHL Rumors on Oilers' HC Search, Pursuit of Bruce Cassidy and Golden Knights' Stance

The Edmonton Oilers are reportedly preparing to make a coaching change, but they have been denied the opportunity to speak with a leading candidate thus far.

According to Frank Seravalli of Hockey247.com, the Vegas Golden Knights have yet to grant the Oilers permission to interview Bruce Cassidy despite the fact that the Vegas fired Cassidy and replaced him with John Tortorella in March.

While fired coaches are typically allowed to pursue other jobs, the Golden Knights are technically within their rights to deny a request since they are still paying out the remainder of Cassidy's contract, which runs through at least next season.

As for the Oilers, they don't officially have a vacancy yet since they haven't fired Kris Knoblauch, but Seravalli noted that Knoblauch's "fate has all but seemingly formally been decided."

While Knoblauch led the Oilers to the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025, they fell to the Florida Panthers each time.

The Oilers reached the playoffs again this season, but they took a significant step backward, finishing with just 93 points during the regular season and falling to the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the playoffs.

Superstar forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were both critical of the regression, as Draisaitl told reporters the Oilers "have to get significantly better," and McDavid said "the organization as a whole has taken a step back."

The front office figures to look into adding new pieces around McDavid and Draisaitl in hopes of returning to Stanley Cup contention and getting McDavid to re-sign before his contract expires at the end of the 2027-28 season, but a coaching change would perhaps be the easiest fix.

Over 12 seasons as an NHL head coach with the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins and Golden Knights, Cassidy has posted a regular-season record of 470-254-9-96, and his teams have qualified for the playoffs 11 times if you count this year's Golden Knights.

Cassidy has also reached the Stanley Cup Final on two occasions, and he led the Golden Knights to their first and only championship in franchise history in 2023.

A one-time winner of the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's top coach, Cassidy would perhaps be the best and most logical replacement for Knoblauch in Edmonton.

Aside from a few potential tweaks, the Oilers are a ready-made Cup contender, and Cassidy has shown that he knows how to get a team to the top of the mountain.

The Golden Knights aren't making it easy on the Oilers so far, though, and an anonymous NHL head coach scolded Vegas' actions, telling Seravalli, "It's ridiculous that we even need to ask for permission. It should be a formality, written into the deal that we're free to seek employment anywhere, and should just be a formality that teams call to give a courtesy heads up."

Ultimately, even though the Golden Knights and Oilers are Pacific Division rivals, it is difficult to envision Vegas forcing Cassidy to sit out next season.

If the situation stretches beyond a certain point, Seravalli speculated that NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman could get involved in an attempt to figure out a resolution.

Because of that, Cassidy making the move to Edmonton may only be a formality if the two sides are indeed interested in making the move happen.