- Oilers granted permission to interview Craig Berube
- Vegas still blocking permission for Bruce Cassidy
- Read below for the latest on Edmonton’s coaching search
Edmonton’s coaching search has a new name in play.
Toronto granted the Oilers permission to formally interview Craig Berube for their head coach vacancy, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug reported Monday. The 60-year-old has already had some initial conversation with GM Stan Bowman, and a full sit-down is expected to follow once schedules line up.
There’s a catch tied to the bigger storyline. Vegas still hasn’t granted permission to talk to Bruce Cassidy, per Rishaug.
The Knights fired Cassidy in March but he’s still under contract with multiple years left, and they’ve held the line on every team that has come calling. Cassidy was Bowman’s clear top target, and the standoff was already serious enough to cost Kris Knoblauch his job.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman backed up the news Monday morning:
Berube has the kind of resume the Oilers want. A Cup ring from his 2019 run with the Blues. A reputation for defensive structure and being demanding behind the bench.
His Toronto run was rockier. The Leafs made the playoffs in his first year and cut him loose after his second, when their nearly decade-long playoff streak came to an end.
Knoblauch lost his job earlier this month after a first-round exit to the Ducks. Bowman cited the need for a “different voice” when explaining the firing. Cassidy was always the dream candidate, and Berube becomes the most experienced alternative if Vegas keeps the door shut.
Connor McDavid has two years left on his deal in Edmonton, and Bowman doesn’t have the runway to slow-play this. If Vegas never opens the door, the Oilers may have already met their next head coach this week.
