Oilers primed to make coaching change? — The Fourth Period
The Edmonton Oilers appear to be moving towards a coaching change, despite current Head Coach Kris Knoblauch signing a three-year contract extension in October.
Knoblauch, whose new contract kicks in this July, was hired by the Oilers on November 12, 2023, and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances.
TFP’s David Pagnotta reported on Saturday on both SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and Hello Hockey that off-ice changes were on the horizon in Edmonton and that could lead to the dismissal of Knoblauch, despite the term on his contract.
This morning, it had been reported that the Oilers have requested permission to interview Bruce Cassidy, who has one year remaining on his contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas, however, has not yet granted the Oilers permission to interview.
Cassidy, who was let go by Vegas on March 30, is set to earn $4.5 million on his remaining deal.
Pagnotta also reported on Saturday that the Los Angeles Kings are also interested in Cassidy and plan to interview him in the future. It is currently unclear if the Kings have requested permission to speak with him.
With the Oilers desiring to speak with Cassidy, the writing may be on the wall for Knoblauch’s future in Edmonton.
