NHL Update: Edmonton Oilers Expected To Interview Craig Berube During Head Coach Search
The Edmonton Oilers are expected to interview Craig Berube, while they are still waiting for permission to talk with Bruce Cassidy.
- Edmonton Oilers are expected to formally interview Craig Berube for their head coaching vacancy.
- Edmonton remains interested in Bruce Cassidy, but Vegas has not granted interview permission yet.
- The Oilers fired Kris Knoblauch after a first-round playoff exit despite back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearan
The Edmonton Oilers keep looking for a new head coach, but it seems like their whole plan is maybe moving a little fast. As TSN's Ryan Rishaug reports, Edmonton is expected to move toward a formal interview with former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, after some early talk with general manager Stan Bowman.
Meanwhile, the Oilers are still trying to figure out if they'll get the green light to speak with former Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy, and that whole situation is still hanging in the air.
Why Have the Edmonton Oilers Emerged as Serious Candidates To Hire Craig Berube?
Ryan Rishaug said that talks between Berube and the Oilers have already happened, and that a formal interview is expected soon. If that really comes together it could put the former Stanley Cup-winning coach right up there as one of the top options in Edmonton's search.
Berube comes with a lot of NHL experience that might really appeal to an Oilers team that is still hunting for consistency even after years of playoff appearances. He put up an 84-62-18 record in Toronto, before being dismissed after a pretty disappointing season under the new general manager John Chayka.
Before Toronto, he coached both the Philadelphia Flyers, and the St. Louis Blues too. His main highlight was in 2019 when he helped the Blues win their first Stanley Cup title.
Could Bruce Cassidy Still Enter the Edmonton Oilers Coaching Search?
Even though Berube looks like the frontrunner, the Oilers are still keeping an eye on Bruce Cassidy's situation closely too. TSN insider Pierre LeBrun mentioned that Vegas still hasn't given any NHL team permission to talk with Cassidy, because he's stuck under contract for another season.
Cassidy became available after Vegas let him go in April, even though he still had a competitive season to back it up. His solid defensive framework and that championship experience, are reportedly what make him a pretty attractive option for Edmonton's front office.
The Oilers ended up firing Knoblauch after that disappointing first-round playoff exit, against the Anaheim Ducks. Even though Edmonton made the playoffs in each of its three seasons, and even pushed all the way to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, management seemed to feel that big changes were necessary moving forward.
General manager Stan Bowman later admitted the whole organization really needed a bit of improvement, after that inconsistent season where the captain Connor McDavid publicly said the Oilers were “an average team”.