Not only are the Golden Knights giving McDavid and the Oilers, a despised divisional foe, the short end of the stick, but they are also hurting Cassidy’s chances of landing another job. As a result, the Coaches’ Association (NHLCA) released a stern statement demanding action from the league.

“The NHLCA has been closely monitoring the situation involving Bruce Cassidy. While we respect the League’s rules and processes, it is our position that coaches who remain under contract, but are no longer working for their Club, should not be prevented from pursuing other employment opportunities,” the official statement read.

“It would be unprecedented at the head coaching level should multiple teams be denied permission to speak with Coach Cassidy. The situation is still unfolding, but our priority is to protect the interests of our members in this type of circumstance.”

Cassidy is still on Vegas’ payroll

Though he was fired without cause, Cassidy is still set to earn $4.5 million from the Golden Knights during the 2026-27 NHL season. As the saying goes, he who pays the piper calls the tune, and Vegas is taking the idiom to the limit.

Because of league regulations, the Knights are not exactly in the wrong—breaching morality’s borders, perhaps, but not crossing any legal boundaries. As loud as the Coaches’ Association and the Oilers cry out, it may all fall on deaf ears.

NHL plans no sanction to Golden Knights

According to reports, the NHL is maintaining the $100,000 fine and stripping the Knights of a second-round pick for missing their media obligations after Game 6 of the series against the Anaheim Ducks, but there has been no punishment for their handling of Cassidy’s future. And it seems there will not be one in the future, either.

Still, the NHLCA’s statement may be an encouraging sign for McDavid and the Oilers that the battle is not lost yet. Perhaps the Coaches’ Association can force the league commissioner’s hand. It feels like a long shot, but Edmonton will hold on to any beacon of hope.

Oilers are to blame, too

Considering how Edmonton handled its own head coaching situation, the Oilers are no choir boys, either. With Knoblauch still under contract and set for a three-year extension to kick in next summer, they requested an interview with Cassidy.

Their plan blew up in their face once the interest was leaked. Left with no choice but to admit their mistake and relieve Knoblauch of his duties, the front office led by Stan Bowman now faces crucial hours. As everybody in Oil Country has been reminded, oil spills only make a bigger mess.

Perhaps it’s a good thing McDavid’s Oilers are leaning toward Craig Berube as the Knights maintain their blockade. Berube may not be the top candidate in Edmonton, but right now he might be the best available option, and it doesn’t look like Cassidy will become available anytime soon. Vegas holds all the cards, and the house never loses in Sin City.

“As for Bruce Cassidy, sources indicate that was not part of the conversation and his status is unchanged as of this morning. Vegas is not inclined to give permission to Edmonton or Los Angeles,” insider Elliotte Friedman reported on his X account. “We will see about Toronto.”

Vegas in full control

After firing Cassidy without cause, the Golden Knights are still set to pay him $4.5 million next season. Vegas decides who can interview him and who cannot, and there is nothing Cassidy—or anybody else, for that matter—can do about it.

Even if he wanted to, Cassidy cannot opt out of his contract. Doing so would mean walking away from a guaranteed fortune for the chance at an interview, so it is unlikely the Stanley Cup-winning head coach would even consider it.

Still, it goes to show just how much control the Golden Knights have. They’ve built a fortress around their former head coach in the Entertainment Capital of the World, and it looks unbreachable.

Oilers’ plan backfired

As if the Oilers weren’t in enough trouble, the leaked interview request for Cassidy left them with no choice but to fire Kris Knoblauch and are now staring at a big void in the head coaching department. Had it played its cards better, Edmonton could have tested the waters around Cassidy without giving up Knoblauch.

The Oilers didn’t play their hand right, and their house of cards came crashing down as a result. Now, they are mostly out of the race for Cassidy and have already moved on from Knoblauch. Needless to say, they are in a lot of trouble, and the timing could not be much worse.

Edmonton has been handed a two-year championship window with McDavid under contract. The team in Oil Country started it by moving on from the coach who led it to consecutive Stanley Cup Finals, and it has no immediate successor in place.

Oilers could wait a year

If the Oilers are serious about Cassidy, and he feels the same way about them, they could wait until next offseason when his contract in Vegas expires. However, Edmonton would be risking a lot by doing so. For starters, there is no guarantee Cassidy will still be available in 2027. Moreover, the Oilers must hire a head coach for the 2026-27 campaign.

Needless to say, “We’re hiring you, but we’ll move on from you next year” is not exactly an effective pitch during coaching interviews. The alternative route would be promoting an interim head coach, but that sends a terrible message to McDavid and company. In the end, the Oilers may have no other choice but to move in a different direction and accept that hiring Cassidy simply was not meant to be.

“Hearing a formal interview with Berube is expected after some initial conversation between he and Bowman. Permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy had still not been granted as of Sunday night,” Ryan Rishaug of TSN reported on his X account.

Amid the interest from McDavid’s Oilers, Cassidy revealed his desire to join a contender, signaling there is traction between the two sides toward reaching an agreement. However, as long as the Golden Knights remain focused on their Stanley Cup chase—or perhaps conveniently distracted enough not to pick up the phone and let their former coach take over a divisional rival—nothing can materialize.

Oilers receive permission to interview Berube

Berube was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs following the 2025-26 campaign. The head coach who guided the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup in 2019 wasn’t in Toronto long enough to see the Buds come away with the No. 1 selection in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

Coming off a two-season stay in Hogtown, Berube has likely learned a lesson or two about being at the helm in a demanding Canadian market. Contrary to the Golden Knights, the Maple Leafs are throwing no wrench into the Oilers’ plans. As reported by Elliotte Friedman, Edmonton has been granted permission to speak with Berube.

Whether the Oilers are seriously interested or just using their free time while waiting on Cassidy, that’s a different question. For Stan Bowman and the thin-ice-walking brass in the Gateway to the North, it may be the perfect distraction to tone down the buzz.

Oilers can’t talk with Cassidy

One thing is clear, though: the Oilers won’t stay idle with their arms crossed. At the very least, they owe it to McDavid, the rest of the team, and the fanbase to stay active and leave no stone unturned. The 2025-26 NHL season saw Edmonton take a considerable step back, and while some argue firing Kris Knoblauch wasn’t the right decision, what’s done is done.

Cassidy is the main target, but he is currently out of reach due to the Golden Knights’ pettiness. Sooner or later, league commissioner Gary Bettman may step in and demand Vegas grant permission for teams to interview Cassidy. For the time being, however, the Knights can keep up the act, even if they have no reason whatsoever to restrict access to their former head coach.

Cassidy has a year left on his contract with Vegas, as he was fired without cause. It looks like the organization in Sin City is putting the saying, ‘two wrongs don’t make a right,’ to the ultimate test.

After the Oilers explained their decision to fire Kris Knoblauch, Cassidy emerged as the top candidate to coach McDavid and Edmonton during the 2026-27 NHL season. In reality, though, Cassidy had already been considered a heavy favorite even before the organization formally relieved Knoblauch of his duties.

Although he has yet to receive permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to interview for other jobs, Cassidy recently broke his silence during a media appearance in which he laid out a clear blueprint for what he needs to see from his next team.

“[What’s appealing to me] is always an opportunity to win. I think where I’m at in my career, I got my name on the Cup and it’s one of the best experiences in hockey. That would appeal to me. That’s what I would want,” Cassidy admitted on First Shift. “And obviously, have to consider ownership. You want to work for good people. If you can find a spot like that, that’d be ideal. Hopefully, there is [such an] opportunity.”

Message to Edmonton

The Oilers had reportedly gotten Cassidy’s approval amid the Golden Knights’ blockade. Now, it’s put into words. His message was heard loud and clear in the Gateway to the North. The Oilers may be coming off a first-round exit in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but fatigue and injuries were bound to catch up to them after consecutive trips to the Final in 2024 and 2025.

There are several concerns surrounding both the lineup and the front office in Edmonton, but as long as McDavid and Draisaitl remain under contract, nobody in the NHL can count the Oilers out. For the time being, the star duo is signed through 2028. That is not a lot of time. Edmonton faces a two-year championship window, but for Cassidy, it could also become a two-year proving ground.

If he shows the team it is on the right track, McDavid may choose to give him the benefit of the doubt and re-sign in the City of Champions—a nickname that has started to feel more like a burden than a compliment for the organization.

Early exit may turn positive

For Cassidy, the early elimination in Oil Country might actually be a good thing. If he signs with the Oilers, he would get McDavid, Draisaitl, and company fully rested when they pick up where they left off in training camp and preseason. It’s clear there were some serious fatigue problems, and players had been dragging the luggage from long postseason runs that ended with heartbreak.

A new head coach could help change the tune, especially one who has won the Stanley Cup before, and every player on the roster saw it happen. It helps when there is no need to dust off a VHS machine to show one’s capabilities.

While both sides seem interested, nothing can materialize until they set up an interview. And such interview won’t be allowed until the Golden Knights grant the Oilers’ permission to reach Cassidy. Some fans across the NHL have gone as far as to call a hostage situation surrounding Vegas and its former head coach, whom it fired with eight games left in the 2025-26 campaign. However, Cassidy is staying patient.

Cassidy’s message to Vegas

“[The Golden Knights] are in the middle of a playoff series. I’m going to respect that they have other things on their plate,” Cassidy added. “I know some teams have reached out. Hopefully at some point they’ll allow me to [interview] with them.”

For the time being, Cassidy will be understanding of where the Golden Knights are in their postseason run, but that may not last much longer. Especially as reports around the league continue to hint that Vegas’ decision is purely driven by pettiness.

After all, the Golden Knights fired Cassidy without cause and with one year left on his contract. They believed he wasn’t the right coach to lead them, so why are they suddenly scared he might be the answer for Edmonton, Los Angeles, Toronto, or any other organization in the coaching market? For a franchise based in Sin City, it sure looks like the Golden Knights are playing it safe, scared to lose their chips.

McDavid set for new coaching retool

Needless to say, this isn’t where McDavid expected—nor hoped—to find himself in Year 11 of his NHL career. As if falling at the gates of the Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal weren’t challenging enough, he’s now standing alone in an empty room in Edmonton. No team trophies to show for, and not even a head coach to look toward.

Whether it’s Cassidy or someone else, McDavid is set to welcome the sixth different head coach of his Oilers tenure. The coaching instability isn’t exclusive to McDavid’s era, either, as Edmonton is searching for its 10th head coach in the past 15 years. Without a shadow of a doubt, that’s a recipe for disaster.

Only arguably the most talented player of all time could drag such a train wreck on deep postseason runs, yet even that hasn’t been enough for the Oilers to snap their 36-year Stanley Cup drought. Maybe Cassidy is the missing piece to the puzzle. Until the Golden Knights step aside and stop blocking—at the very least, ignoring—teams from reaching him, however, McDavid and company can do little more than daydream about the future.

Oilers brace for franchise-defining offseason

Then again, the future is also filled with uncertainties and scenarios Oilers fans can scarcely fathom—and would rather never imagine. Cassidy may seem like Edmonton’s knight in shining armor, but for now, he’s trapped in a castle under the watch of the Golden Knights. It sounds like the premise of a box-office hit coming to theaters this summer, but Stan Bowman and the front office in Alberta know all too well that it could instead turn into a tearjerker.

“Following a thorough review of this past season, we believe these changes are needed. We are grateful for the contributions both Kris and Mark have made to our organization and we wish them the best moving forward,” said Stan Bowman, the Oilers’ Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager.

That also discards Mark Stuart from being the next HC. It’s been reported that Connor McDavid’s Oilers reportedly get Bruce Cassidy’s approval though the Golden Knights resist. So, if Cassidy ends up giving the green light, the head coach hunt could be short-lived for the Oilers.

Who else could replace Kris Knoblauch besides Bruce Cassidy?

Knoblauch had a 135-77-21 with the Oilers in the regular season, but that wasn’t the problem during Knoblauch’s tenure. He got to two straight Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, he had a first-round exit. Knoblauch couldn’t reach the final goal.

David Carle made a name by winning his third NCAA championship with the University of Denver. It’s been a long time coming for Carle to step up into the NHL and what better way than to coach Connor McDavid.

The Oilers expectations are very high

A team that has been so close to win the Stanley Cup but hasn’t has just one goal in mind: finally get over the finish line. The coach that replaces Knoblauch will have Connor McDavid, yes, but he will have to overhaul the defense and goaltending.

With that, the Oilers can once again dream about winning the Stanley Cup, something that has evaded them since 1990. It’s a big task, but also one that could propel the new head coach into new heights.

As Elliotte Friedman noted during an appearance on Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show, Cassidy is open to interviewing with any team that requests permission to speak with him. However, he would rank teams differently, with Edmonton—viewed as the suitor closest to winning—expected to lead the race for his services. “If Bruce Cassidy has the choice, I would say it’s probably Edmonton,” Friedman said.

Still, until the Golden Knights grant the Oilers and the rest of the NHL permission to speak with him, the 60-year-old head coach will remain, so to speak, quarantined under Sin City’s wraps. Thus, reports all but confirm Edmonton are the favorites to hire Cassidy—though it has yet to fire Kris Knoblauch. Until Vegas says so, though, the Oilers can’t do much. Well, actually they can. And they should.

Oilers must formally fire Knoblauch

Word getting out that Edmonton sought permission to speak with Cassidy has put the organization in the Gateway to the North on the spot. The Oilers are left with virtually no choice but to have a face-to-face conversation with Knoblauch and part ways with him.

After all, they owe him at least that much, considering the head coach learned the front office went behind his back in its quest to find his replacement. Keep in mind the Oilers signed Knoblauch to a three-year extension beginning with the 2026-27 NHL season and running through 2028-29.

Edmonton may try to act as if nothing happened and stick with its current head coach, but that seems unlikely. If that occurs, though, there’s a slim chance Knoblauch works past his differences with the team in Oil Country. After all, money talks, and the 47-year-old is up for a big contract. The upcoming three-year deal would skyrocket Knoblauch’s net worth.

Oilers face more drama

All things considered, the Oilers are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Even if reports suggest Cassidy would favor them over other potential suitors such as the Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton could still find itself in trouble. What happens if the organization moves on from Knoblauch but fails to land Cassidy?

It would certainly make for yet another dramatic offseason in Alberta, and it could prove to be the last straw for Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Both stars expressed frustration following the team’s first-round exit in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Such chaos would be far from the response they expected after publicly stating the Oilers had taken a step backward last season.

The writing is on the wall for Knoblauch. His time in Edmonton appears to be running out. Whether Stan Bowman and company care to admit they were caught red-handed is a different question altogether. Edmonton should have learned its lesson by now: nothing is messier than an oil spill.

As reported by Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet, Toronto is expected to reach out to Cassidy. Such a hiring would make much sense after the Maple Leafs explained the firing of Berube following the 2025-26 NHL season. Still, the Buds would first need to be granted permission by the Golden Knights.

That crucial step is one neither the Oilers nor Kings have been able to get past yet. As a result, the two Pacific Division rivals of Vegas remain in the dark regarding their head coaching searches. Moreover, both Edmonton and Los Angeles technically do not have openings at the head coach position. Kris Knoblauch is still under contract in Alberta, while interim coach DJ Smith—who replaced Jim Hiller—remains with the organization in California.

Maple Leafs do have a head coach vacancy

Right from the start, Toronto holds an advantage in that regard, as it actually has a vacancy. The Maple Leafs first fired Berube, and only afterward will they begin talks with available coaches. For all the controversy surrounding the hiring of GM John Chayka in Hogtown, the former Arizona Coyotes executive has operated by the book so far.

Moreover, the Maple Leafs as an organization may also have better luck dealing with the Golden Knights. First and foremost, Toronto is far away in the Atlantic Division, posing little threat to Vegas outside of a potential Stanley Cup Final matchup. Considering how the past season unfolded for Toronto, one could argue the odds of the Buds competing for the Cup anytime soon remain slim.

Toronto gets along better with Vegas than LA and Edmonton

That said, the Maple Leafs did come away with the No. 1 pick in 2026 and reportedly have no concerns about drafting Gavin McKenna, who could make an immediate impact. Secondly, it was less than a year ago that Toronto and Vegas negotiated in good faith to complete the Mitch Marner–Nicolas Roy trade. Indeed, it was Brad Treliving who served as GM and pulled the strings in Ontario, but the Knights may still feel as though they owe something to the Leafs.

Not that such sentiment is common in the NHL—especially not in Sin City, where the Golden Knights have built a reputation as a disruptive organization. Regardless, the Maple Leafs’ front office may look quite different than it did back in July 2025, but it is still the same hockey club.

Plus, the Golden Knights know they cannot block off Cassidy forever. Doing so for too long may cross certain moral boundaries. At some point, they will have to allow teams to interview him, and right now Toronto appears to be the most logical landing spot from Vegas’ perspective. Perhaps giving the Maple Leafs more time to sell its pitch to Cassidy is the perfect way for the Golden Knights to send a message to the Oilers and Kings.

Cassidy has a say in the matter

At the end of the day, though, Cassidy isn’t Vegas’ property. Granted, he has one year remaining on his contract that some team will have to pay, but the Golden Knights can’t keep him under wraps forever. At some point, sooner or later, the NHL will intervene if the blockade persists. When it’s all said and done, it will be Cassidy who chooses where to sign next, and that’s where the Golden Knights’ influence comes to an end.

The longer Vegas keeps Cassidy quarantined from the rest of the league, the greater the odds he seeks revenge by signing with a divisional rival. It’s a risky game the Golden Knights are playing, and for the first time in the city’s history, the house might come away a loser in the Entertainment Capital of the World.

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.

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. This is simply a way of keeping the divisional feud alive while avoiding distractions in the middle of a Stanley Cup pursuit—though looking terrible in the eyes of the NHL while doing so. 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. Even if it comes at the expense of the image they project to the rest of the league.

Oilers haven’t fired Knoblauch yet

First things first, though: Edmonton must officially fire Knoblauch, as McDavid and company still technically report to him. It’s clear the front office has gone behind his back, though, and it’s a terrible on look on Bowman just as it’s on the brass in Nevada. The noise surrounding the coaching carousel and the Oilers’ request for permission to interview Cassidy leave no doubt that the writing is on the wall for Knoblauch.

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.

“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.

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.

“Yeah, I feel the same way,” McDavid admitted, via NHL.com. “I feel the same as I did a couple of days ago and agree with [Draisaitl] that the organization as a whole has taken a step back. It starts with me, it starts with Leon, we all can be better, we need to be better.”

Hearing that both franchise cornerstones are upset with the current direction is the last thing Edmonton needed heading into a long NHL offseason. Perhaps it turns out to be a blessing in disguise, but only if the recent comments serve as a wake-up call. McDavid and Draisaitl made their thoughts and emotions clear.

Draisaitl’s comments

The ball is in the front office’s court now. Either they get back on track, or they may have to brace for the final years of “McDraisaitl” in the Gateway to the North. If McDavid—who’s not one to usually go off script with the media—made that clear, Draisaitl—whose public outbursts are far more common—didn’t sugarcoat his emotions whatsoever.

“I am concerned because we’re not trending in the right direction,” Draisaitl stated during his end-of-season press conference. “In what world do you have the best player in the world on your team and you’re not looking to win? I know we’re looking to win, but we need to be better, we have to be better, there’s no way around it. “

McDavid and Draisaitl’s stats

Draisaitl and McDavid combined for 16 points (4 G, 12 A) in the Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The German was coming off a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 14 games down the stretch of the 2025–26 NHL regular season. Though he may not have been at 100%, he was the leading scorer for his team.

However, with Draisaitl battling setbacks and McDavid suffering a foot fracture in Game 2 of the series, the Oilers needed the rest of the team to step up and help the star duo out. At the end of the day, Edmonton’s lack of depth was their downfall. Once again, only this time, “McDraisaitl” couldn’t lead them to another Stanley Cup Final appearance.

Feeling as if they were left out to dry by the brass in Alberta, the duo expressed their frustration as they headed out of Rogers Place for one last time until after the summer. McDavid and Draisaitl voiced their feelings in authentic fashion. McDavid wasn’t as blunt as Draisaitl, but both wore their hearts on their sleeves as they faced the media in Edmonton with nothing but sorrow all over their faces.

Draisaitl opens the door for potential McDavid trade

“[McDavid is] signed for two more years, and God knows where that goes, but we have two years here as of right now and we have to get significantly better,” Draisaitl said. If the two-year championship window wasn’t obvious for the Oilers, Draisaitl made sure to remind the organization of it.

McDavid agreed to a two-year, $25 million extension with the Oilers before the start of the 2025–26 NHL season. If the organization continues to take steps backward, the captain may ask out of the organization. It’s a hard truth fans in Edmonton wish to overlook, but Draisaitl has now put that talk in the spotlight.

In the even McDavid requests a trade, it probably won’t take long before Draisaitl asks out as well. His situation is far more complex, though, as he just completed the first season of his eight-year, $122 million contract. Still, the first-round exit against Anaheim has put Edmonton in a very tough spot, and it may only be a matter of time before Pandora’s box is opened.

“We’re still in a really tough spot. We’ve got to find a way to win in a tough building. All we did is survive one more day. The pressure is still on us, but it’s a big game for them too,” McDavid admitted, via NHL.com. “I’m sure they’ll be feeling that too. I’m sure they’re not going to want to come back to Edmonton. Pressure on them. We’ve got to find a way to survive another day.”

The Oilers will only face elimination games going forward in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Edmonton must take it one game at a time, though. If McDavid and company get too far ahead of themselves, they might run into even more trouble.

Ducks sense the pressure as Oilers put up a fight

Though the Oilers’ backs are against the wall, the Ducks aren’t in for a walk in the park, either. If Anaheim can’t close out the series in Game 6, it will be in for a cortisol-spiking Game 7 back in the Gateway to the North.

Though the Ducks’ squad features several NHL veterans, they may not be able to withstand a win-or-go-home matchup against the likes of Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and company. Something’s clicked for Edmonton. Maybe, playing with no margin for error was all the Oilers needed to find their best hockey.

McDavid is back, and so are the Oilers

The McDavid-Draisaitl duo came to life in Game 5, as they combined for two goals in the 4-1 triumph. McDavid has been battling through a lower-body setback since Game 2. However, during the Oilers’ third home game of the series, he finally looked like his best self again. As a result, McDavid ended the night with two assists and—most importantly—a crucial win to keep his team’s NHL season alive.

Perhaps the series’ momentum has shifted. Anaheim may have its last chance to send Edmonton home in Orange County. Yet if the series returns to Alberta, it might as well be all she wrote for the Ducks. McDavid said it best: the pressure is still on the Oilers to survive one more day in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the Ducks are surely growing anxious as they realize Edmonton refuses to go out.

If Edmonton makes it out of California in one piece, it will become a whole new series. Against all odds, the Oilers may force a Game 7, and anything can happen in a one-game showdown.