A confirmation just came down regarding the Oilers' coaching position
The Bruce Cassidy to Edmonton story just got louder.
Rod Pedersen posted "Write it down... Bruce Cassidy will be coaching the Edmonton Oilers this year" on Thursday, hours after interviewing Vegas Golden Knights owner Bill Foley.
Pedersen has the track record to back the confidence. He's the same insider who broke the Ken Holland to Edmonton news in 2019. He doesn't typically post predictions without real signal behind them.
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Multiple other respected names are tracking the same direction. Andy Strickland of St. Louis suggested back-channel communication between Edmonton and Cassidy is already happening, even with Vegas formally blocking interviews.
John Shannon of the 100% Hockey podcast told Bob Stauffer this week that he expects the Knights to eventually grant Cassidy permission once their Stanley Cup run ends.
Three credible voices. Same conclusion. That's not noise. That's the kind of consistent reporting that tends to land where it's pointing.
Why the Vegas blockade can't hold forever
Vegas is still alive in the playoffs. The Golden Knights swept the Avalanche in the Western Conference Final and now wait for Carolina or Montreal in the Stanley Cup Final.
While they're playing, Cassidy can't talk to other teams. League protocol on contract situations like this is clear. Once Vegas is done, the conversation opens.
Shannon framed it as a level-playing-field issue. The Knights protect their internal information and timelines until the season ends. Then GM Kelly McCrimmon and George McPhee can grant the permission Cassidy needs.
Stan Bowman has been busy elsewhere. Craig Berube interviewed for several hours over the weekend.
The Oilers also restructured their hockey operations department this week with Michael Parkatti promoted to VP of Analytics and Technology.
The head-coach search remains the only chair Bowman hasn't filled yet. That's also the only chair that actually decides Edmonton's October.
Cassidy won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023. He's the type of veteran bench voice the Oilers locker room reportedly wants.
The fit makes too much sense for Pedersen and the others to be guessing.
Connor McDavid's window doesn't pause for league protocol. Bowman has to land this hire before the draft. The June 26 calendar squeezes everything into a tight window.
McCrimmon publicly pushed back on Edmonton this week for leaking Cassidy's name during the Vegas playoff run. That tension is real. The eventual permission may still come quietly attached to a specific condition or compensation discussion.
Pedersen wrote it down. Strickland and Shannon backed him up. The hockey world is watching to see if the script gets followed.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 29, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Taylor Hall | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jackson Blake | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Alexander Nikishin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Phillip Danault | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||