The Edmonton Oilers are officially embarking on a search for a new head coach after relieving Kris Knoblauch of his duties last week, with assistant coach Mark Stuart also being let go.
When all was said and done, Knoblauch went 135-77-21 in three seasons in Oil Country and 31-22 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But as they finished second in a ‘pillow fight’ of a Pacific Division, limped to the playoffs, and were booted out in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton’s brass decided this was the best time for both parties to go their separate ways.
In their search for a new head coach, former Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy remains the frontrunner, but there’s just one teeny tiny little hiccup: Vegas is still withholding permission from the Oilers to interview Cassidy for the role.
NHL World Furious as Vegas Leaves Oilers Hanging Over Bruce Cassidy
Per NHL insider Frank Seravalli, last week, the Oilers requested permission from the Golden Knights to interview Cassidy, since he still has one year left on his deal that pays him a reported $4.5 million a year.
Given the fact that Cassidy is still technically contracted to the Golden Knights, the organization still has some say over where he lands. One school of thought over them stonewalling the Oilers’ request was that Vegas was simply too busy to address the issue in the middle of a playoff run.
However, The Athletic insider Pierre LeBrun reported that as of Monday, May 18, Vegas was still dilly-dallying over permitting the Oilers to bring Cassidy in for an interview.
VGK’s behavior did not go down well with NHL fans and analysts, who had a lot to say about this turn of events.
As of this minute, Vegas still hasn’t given permission to any teams to speak with Bruce Cassidy, who has another year left on his Golden Knights contract. https://t.co/KQWTChlRV9
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) May 18, 2026
“Pretty s**tty way to handle things with a coach that helped win you a Stanley Cup in Vegas, to not let him pursue other jobs,” wrote Alex Micheletti.
Hunter Hodies, co-host of the Locked On Penguins podcast, wrote: “I say again: What a strange organization.”
Philadelphia Flyers beat writer Ryan Quigley asked a separate question altogether. “I don’t know who hurt the Golden Knights. Perhaps I’m misremembering, but I don’t remember them being this s**tty and arrogant when they first entered the league.”
Boston beat writer John Zannis demanded action, saying, “How is this allowed? Dock them another draft pick.”
With the Cassidy situation in limbo, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported that Edmonton has since turned its attention to Craig Berube, who was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs just a day before the Oilers let Knoblauch go.
On paper, Berube fits the profile the Oilers are looking for. He’s a man who demands accountability and someone who will demand a lot out of the team’s heliocentric duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
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Berube finished his Leafe tenure with an 84-62-18 mark, but the fact that Toronto badly regressed after Mitch Marner’s departure could be a major red flag. Without the current Conn Smythe favorite, the Leafs’ power play straight out imploded, while Berube’s defensive system also collapsed as they conceded more shots than any other team in the league.
Both Auston Matthews and William Nylander also struggled to adapt, as Toronto bottomed out and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
