Oilers Denied Permission to Speak With Top Coaching Candidate

Second, that the Golden Knights have squashed the Oilers’ chance to interview Cassidy despite relieving him of his duties toward the end of last season is also surprising. They’ll be on the hook for his pay while he’s unemployed (technically he’s still under contract), but if he gets a new job, Vegas is no longer responsible for his salary.

This continues to add to the reputation that Vegas is ruthless when it comes to all things hockey, personnel, and contracts. And, it poses an interesting question: should this be allowed?

If a coach is still under contract, that’s one thing. But if you’ve already fired him and decided he’s not good enough, should a team be able to control where he goes next? At that point, he should be free to move on without restrictions. Cassidy, in particular, should be able to walk away from his Vegas contract entirely so the organization has no say in his next opportunity.

One fan wrote, “Classic division gamesmanship if true. Hard to blame the Edmonton Oilers for trying, but the Vegas Golden Knights blocking an interview request for Bruce Cassidy says a lot about how seriously they’re guarding their edge. Not exactly unprecedented, but it definitely raises the temperature on an already tight coaching market.”

Some are calling this a slap in the face to Knoblauch, while others argue that he should have seen this coming, given the way the Oilers played this season and their early playoff exit. He’s still got two years on his contract, leaving Edmonton on the hook for a good chunk of money if they fire him.