Overview
- The Oilers, who announced Thursday they had fired head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant Mark Stuart, said the decision followed a season-long review led by GM Stan Bowman.
- Bruce Cassidy is widely reported as the top target, but he remains under contract with the Golden Knights and needs Vegas’ permission to interview.
- Bowman set a hiring window of one to a few weeks and said Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will be consulted but will not take part in interviews.
- Veteran alternatives being linked include Craig Berube, Peter Laviolette and Gerard Gallant, while Toronto is expected to consider Knoblauch for its own vacancy.
- Insiders describe strong pressure from owner Darryl Katz, which raises expectations on Bowman and could lead to roster changes in a tight McDavid timeline.