Bruce Cassidy is now available to the Oilers, per Friedman
Elliotte Friedman pulled back the curtain on the Bruce Cassidy situation, and the Vegas Knights don't come out looking great.
The TSN insider went on DMase Vingan and Daunic with an update on why Edmonton hasn't gotten the green light yet to talk to the former coach.
"Maybe the Golden Knights wanted to wait until their series with Anaheim was over." That's Friedman, framing it diplomatically.
Then he dropped the harder line. "I think they are playing some head games with some people too."
That's a direct shot. Vegas is delaying permission on purpose. The Knights aren't going to lose anything by saying yes, but the holdup is doing exactly what it's intended to do.
Friedman's bottom line was that Edmonton will eventually get permission. The clock is just longer than Stan Bowman wants it to be.
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Bowman's coaching search gets squeezed by another team's timeline
Kris Knoblauch took the team to a 41-30-11 regular season finish at 93 points, then watched his group exit in Round 1 to Anaheim in 6 games.
That's the part that frustrates fans the most. McDavid played 6 playoff games at minus-8. Knoblauch hasn't been replaced. The Cassidy phone call hasn't happened.
The Friedman framing is a public squeeze. By suggesting Vegas is playing games, the insider is putting pressure on the Knights to either approve the talks or own the delay publicly.
That's how these stories shift. Sometimes the reporting itself becomes the lever.
Bowman has been the Edmonton GM since July 2024. His first full offseason was supposed to deliver clarity on the coaching staff. Instead it's delivered radio silence on Cassidy.
The longer the wait, the more credible alternatives slip away too. Other coaches sign with other teams. The list of upgrades over Knoblauch shrinks every week.
Friedman thinks the permission lands eventually. That doesn't help Edmonton plan a press conference for July 1.
With Vegas now having defeated the Anaheim Ducks and officially eliminated them, the possibility of Bruce Cassidy becoming available for discussions with the Edmonton Oilers has suddenly become very real.
Speculation surrounding Edmonton's coaching situation was already growing, but this development is only adding more fuel to the fire.
Cassidy is widely respected around the league for his structure, discipline, and playoff experience, making him an intriguing option for an Oilers team under massive pressure to finally get over the hump.
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MAY 14, 2026
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| Shea Theodore | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
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