The Edmonton Oilers sought permission to interview Bruce Cassidy, but the Vegas Golden Knights have not granted it. This situation forces the Oilers to consider alternative options, including Kris Knoblauch.
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Oilers forced to play their hand with Kris Knoblauch following Bruce Cassidy report originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There was a report on Tuesday morning from NHL insider Frank Seravalli that the Edmonton Oilers had asked the Vegas Golden Knights for permission to speak with head coach Bruce Cassidy, but that request has not been granted.
Cassidy was fired by the Golden Knights on March 30, less than a month before the Stanley Cup playoffs. Technically, Cassidy is still under the rights of Vegas since his contract is yet to expire, and that’s why other teams typically ask for permission to speak with candidates in Cassidy’s situation.
However, what doesn’t usually happen is the coach’s previous team withholding access to the interested team to speak to the candidate.
What made matters worse for the Oilers is this request going public.
MORE: Golden Knights reportedly deny Oilers request to speak to Stanley Cup-winning coach
The Oilers were interested in Bruce Cassidy as a potential head coach following his firing from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Bruce Cassidy is still under contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, which is why the Oilers needed permission to speak with him.
Kris Knoblauch is a potential coaching candidate for the Oilers as they explore alternatives after being denied access to Bruce Cassidy.
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Now that everyone knows that Edmonton was interested in speaking with Cassidy, what does that mean for current Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch?
This report surfacing forces the Oilers organization to play its hand. Which means, because the public - including Oilers players, staff, and Knoblauch himself - know that Edmonton may have one foot out the door regarding Knoblauch’s status with the team, they’ll need to act on the situation.
Essentially, that means the Oilers have no choice but to let Knoblauch go. It may not be the best situation to let Knoblauch lead a team that knows the franchise planned a coaching change this off-season.
Furthermore, reports from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts podcast on Wednesday say that the Oilers weren’t the only team that hadn’t been granted permission to speak to Cassidy.
Friedman said the Los Angeles Kings have asked permission to speak with the former Golden Knights coach. However, like Edmonton, Los Angeles hasn’t been granted permission to speak with the coach of the 2023 Stanley Cup champion.
There’s no doubt that, based on merit, Cassidy is the No. 1 coaching candidate going into next season, and he’ll certainly have options. His horizon has grown further with the possibility of speaking with the Toronto Maple Leafs after they let go of Craig Berube on Wednesday.