The Edmonton Oilers may be bracing for a head coaching change after the 2025-26 NHL season. With Kris Knoblauch’s exit rumors running wild across The Gateway to the North, a report suggests Connor McDavid and the rest of the team may welcome a new bench-boss. Perhaps, none other than Bruce Cassidy.
“There is consideration in the Oilers‘ front office as to the future of the head coach. I believe that Bruce Cassidy is among—and there are more than one—options that [the Oilers] will consider if they go that route,” David Pagnotta said during an appearance on Hello Hockey podcast.
Needless to say, the Oilers’ first-round exit in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs will have repercussions within the organization. Perhaps the die is cast on the future of Knoblauch at the helm of the team. McDavid voiced his frustration after the 2025-26 NHL season came to a crushing, early end, and it’d be surprising if Edmonton doesn’t make changes across the board ahead of the next campaign.
Is Cassidy the right man for the job?
Although Cassidy was fired from the Vegas Golden Knights with eight games left in the 2025-26 NHL regular season and hiring John Tortorella has worked out in Vegas’ favor, the move still sent shockwaves all across the league.
Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place
Cassidy ranks 34th all-time among NHL head coaches with 470 career wins. If he signs with the Oilers, he would become the ninth-winningest active coach in the league. Moreover, he knows his way around the league and the Pacific Division.
The kind of move Oilers need
Hiring Cassidy—who won the Stanley Cup in 2023 with the Golden Knights—may be just what the doctor ordered for the Edmonton Oilers, and the kind of move that keeps McDavid motivated and optimistic about staying in Northern Alberta.
After all, the captain is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2028. That means Edmonton has only two more seasons to prove it can return to true Stanley Cup contention. Moreover, the Oilers must actually hoist the Cup instead of merely showing they can compete with the league’s elite before ultimately falling short.
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