Gary Bettman may be about to step in amid the growing Oilers-Golden Knights controversy
Bruce Cassidy and Connor McDavid are now sitting inside the same ugly Edmonton offseason story.
That is what Andy Strickland's post really brought into the open.
The message was not subtle.
Strickland basically said nobody should be naïve enough to think teams like the Oilers cannot have back-channel communication with Cassidy, even while Vegas is still blocking formal permission.
That alone tells you how messy this has become.
Because this is no longer just a clean coaching search with names on a list and interviews booked through the usual process. This now feels like a staring contest between Vegas, interested teams, and a coach who has already made it clear he wants to get back to work.
And Edmonton is right in the middle of that noise.
The biggest part of Strickland's post may have been the timing angle.
He suggested Vegas will eventually allow permission once its season ends. And if not, he believes Gary Bettman will get involved.
That is a strong line.
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The NHL may be preparing to intervene in the escalating Oilers-Golden Knights situation
That is the read a lot of people will take from this.
You do not start talking about back channels unless the interest is serious. You do not bring Bettman into the conversation unless the situation is starting to look bigger than a simple wait-your-turn coaching request.
So yes, this absolutely feels like bad news and good news at the same time for Edmonton.
The bad news is obvious.
If the Oilers really want Cassidy, they still are stuck waiting for Vegas to stop standing in the doorway.
That is frustrating for a team that already needs clarity behind the bench and does not have time to let the whole summer drift.
But the good news is buried in the same rumor.
If Strickland is right, the door may not stay closed much longer.
That matters because Cassidy is not just another available coach. He is the kind of bench boss who immediately changes the tone of a team, and in Edmonton, tone is part of the problem.
The Oilers do not need another soft hire.
They do not need another maybe.
They need somebody who can grab the room and put structure around a roster that still burns through too much chaos.
That is why Cassidy keeps coming up.
And that is why this story is not going away.
If Vegas eventually caves, Edmonton may get its shot.
If Vegas does not, then this could turn into a league issue fast.
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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 | ||||