According to Frank Seravalli, the Edmonton Oilers have reached out to the Vegas Golden Knights to for permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy about his interest in coaching the Oilers. Interestingly, Vegas has reportedly denied their request.
Seravalli posted on Tuesday morning, ” League sources say #Oilers have sought permission to interview Bruce Cassidy as they contemplate significant coaching staff changes. To this point, sources say @GoldenKnights have withheld permission from division rival. Gamesmanship? Perhaps. Mostly unprecedented for role. “
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The reaction from the yet unconfirmed news is fascinating.
“Let’s see how this plays out. Personally I think they should grant permission. VGK has moved on from Cassidy, let him get back into the game on his terms. Wherever that may be,” says one analyst.
Writer and content creator Rachel Kryshak writes, “This shouldn’t be allowed. It’s one thing if the person is still employed by the organization. You fired him, deemed him not good enough — you don’t get to decide who employs him next. Cassidy should be able to walk away from VGK contract so they have no say.”
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One fan wrote, “Questionable strategy by Vegas. You’d have to think, if you were another coach, exec, even player, would this make you feel a little less comfortable signing there? Maybe no one cares cuz Vegas.”
Are the Oilers trying to hire Bruce Cassidy as the team’s next head coach? Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
It’s an interesting stance from the Golden Knights, who are known as a ruthless organization when it comes to players, personelle, and making changes. They will do anything to win, and now it appears almost anything to avoid helping a rival win. This, despite the fact they relieved Cassidy of his duties near the end of the season and brought in John Tortorella.
Eric Macramella writes, “Bruce Cassidy has 1 year left on his deal at $4.5M. If Vegas lets the Oilers speak to him and Edmonton hires him, Vegas would typically only owe the difference in salary under standard NHL mitigation/offset rules and not the full remaining $4.5M.”
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As for Knoblauch, this can’t be a good feeling. He had to know that his time in Edmonton could be cut short based on the way this past season unfolded and when both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl spoke publicly about their concerns. However, to hear that the Oilers are actively pursuing interviews with other coaches while still being employed as the coach has to tell him the writing is on the wall.
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