Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers could welcome Bruce Cassidy as Kris Knoblauch walks on thin ice ahead of the 2026-27 NHL season. Reports indicate general manager Stan Bowman and the front office have gone forward with their pursuit of the Stanley Cup-winning head coach. However, the Vegas Golden Knights won’t make things easy on them.
Why does the Golden Knights‘ say matter? Well, long story short, Cassidy still has one year left on his contract with Vegas at $4.5 million annually—as he was fired without cause. According to a report from Frank Seravalli, the Oilers have sought permission to speak with Cassidy, but the NHL franchise in Sin City is complicating matters.
“The Edmonton Oilers have sought permission to interview Bruce Cassidy as they contemplate significant changes to their coaching staff. Sources said Vegas had not outright denied permission for Edmonton to interview Cassidy, but had more so kept the Oilers waiting,” Seravalli wrote on Hockey 24/7.
Knights in no hurry, Oilers can’t do nothing but wait
The Golden Knights haven’t outright denied the Oilers access to Cassidy, but they are making Edmonton’s front office wait. After all, Vegas has bigger fish to fry as it remains in the middle of a heated playoff series against the Utah Mammoth.
Bruce Cassidy, former Vegas Golden Knights head coach.
Edmonton would love to resolve its head coaching situation as soon as possible, but the Golden Knights are in no rush to make a decision. Vegas can’t keep up this act for much longer, though. Sooner or later, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will step in to smooth things over.
Teams aren’t allowed to withhold permission from others for competitive reasons. It’s a nice way of keeping the divisional feud alive while avoiding distractions in the middle of a Stanley Cup pursuit. All things considered, the Oilers should eventually work their way through the Knights’ blockade—if their interest in Cassidy is truly that strong.
Bruce Cassidy could raise his voice
Moreover, Cassidy may step in himself. As if being fired with eight games left in the 2025-26 NHL season wasn’t insulting enough for the coach who led Vegas to a Stanley Cup in 2023, being blocked from another job opportunity would take things to another level.
The organization in the Silver State has found itself in the spotlight several times around the NHL because of its often ruthless handling of players and lack of tact in several business decisions.
Some might say a scandal involving Cassidy and the Oilers would be par for the course in the Entertainment Capital of the World, where the house always wins—and the Golden Knights want to be no different.
Oilers haven’t fired Knoblauch yet
First things first, though: Edmonton must officially fire Knoblauch, as McDavid and company still technically report to him. The noise surrounding the coaching carousel and the Oilers’ request for permission to interview Cassidy suggest the writing is on the wall for Knoblauch.
Kris Knoblauch of the Edmonton Oilers addresses the media.
Still, as long as Knoblauch isn’t formally fired, the Golden Knights can make the case that they aren’t giving the Oilers permission to speak with Cassidy because there is no vacant position for him. It’s a double-edged sword that stands between the two franchises.
For Edmonton, parting ways with Knoblauch would raise alarms, and if Cassidy doesn’t ultimately end up being the right fit for the position, it would only place even more pressure on a team that has exactly two seasons left to win the Stanley Cup or risk losing McDavid for good.
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