There are 11 words that the Edmonton Oilers are hoping to hear: “Vegas has granted the Oilers permission to speak to Bruce Cassidy.”

It’s the man the team has been after for over two weeks, playing the waiting game with the Golden Knights to see if, or when, they will budge and grant the Oilers permission to speak with him. The story broke on May 12 that Vegas had been stalling the Oilers’ efforts, right as they were in the midst of closing out their second-round series against the Anaheim Ducks.

Between that series wrapping up on May 14 and the Western Conference final against the Colorado Avalanche six days later, the Golden Knights didn’t blink. In fact, they got caught up in a firestorm when John Tortorella didn’t speak to the media after their Game 6 win over the Ducks, resulting in a $100,000 fine and the team being docked a second-round draft pick. An unsuccessful appeal with the league later, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon finally addressed the Cassidy news: “We’ve been consistent that our focus currently is on the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the teams have respected that. I’ve spoken with Bruce. He understands this as well.”

Sure.

The Golden Knights now hit another lull period, completing a shocking four-game series sweep over the Avs Tuesday night, kicking off another waiting period where they’ll be without games until one of the Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens emerges from the East. And while there’s no firestorm of drama going on during this break, there’s also no reason for the Golden Knights to budge and suddenly grant the Oilers permission.

After all, their “focus is on the Stanley Cup playoffs.”

That leaves the Oilers without a chance to interview the guy all signs point to as the No. 1 option, delaying a major part of their process. General manager Stan Bowman said after firing Kris Knoblauch that the team would be casting a “wide search,” with no true timetable, but the truth of the matter is the Oilers need to hire a coach at some point, ideally with enough time to put free agency plans in place.

In each of the last two seasons, Lord Stanley’s Mug was handed out seven days before NHL free agency.

There’s only one coach whom the Oilers have been confirmed to have gotten permission to speak with, and that’s Craig Berube. Though in the nine days since that news broke, there have yet to be any confirmed reports of the two sides speaking. Berube fits what the Oilers are looking for in a head coach — someone with gravitas, and Stanley Cup-winning experience — but his teams have by and large struggled over the last four years. Even including a 52-26-4 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024-25, his teams have posted a combined .536 points percentage. Even in the strong season on paper, the Leafs’ underlying numbers were weak, and the team was bounced in the second round of the playoffs by the Florida Panthers.

Peter Laviolette’s name has started to surface more in recent days, with Oilersnation’s Jason Gregor reporting during Tuesday’s edition of The Jason Gregor Show on Sports 1440 that he believes the Oilers spoke with Laviolette over the weekend.

“I think Peter Laviolette would get some strong consideration for the coaching job for the Oilers,” he said. “I know that they’re not in any massive rush here. There has been interviews. I’m pretty confident and certain that the Laviolette’s being interviewed by the Edmonton Oilers.”

Laviolette is one of the longest-tenured coaches in NHL history, with the ninth-most games coached all-time. He’s spent time with six different organizations, winning the 2006 Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes and returning to the final with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Nashville Predators in 2017.

His most recent tenure came over a two-year stint with the New York Rangers between 2023-24 and 2024-25. They had much success in the first year, winning the Presidents’ Trophy and making it to the Eastern Conference final where they lost in six games to the Panthers. They had a significant falloff in 2024-25, missing the playoffs, leading to his dismissal.

Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.

The Toyota Tacoma is the ultimate power play. Its standard i-FORCE engine delivers more power than ever and a towing capacity of up to 6,400 lbs. It helps you take on challenging landscapes with confidence with its available Panoramic Multi-Terrain View Monitor that provides a live, underfloor view of the terrain you’re tackling. It even makes loading and unloading gear effortless with its available Power Liftgate. Whether it’s for early morning practice or weekend away games, the Tacoma is a teammate you can rely on. Visit your local Prairie Toyota dealer during Red Tag Days for limited-time offers.