Nobody saw this new Oilers coaching frontrunner coming
Elliotte Friedman tossed a grenade into the Edmonton Oilers' offseason early Sunday, naming three NHL head coaches he believes Stan Bowman could be circling.
The 32 Thoughts host listed Bruce Cassidy, Peter Laviolette and Craig Berube as names that "scream" Oilers, signaling Edmonton wants a different kind of voice behind the bench.
The interesting one is Peter Laviolette, as Cassidy and Berube were both linked to the Oilers in the past week.
The backdrop matters. The Oilers finished 14th overall at 41-30-11, second in the Pacific Division, and then bowed out in Round 1 to Anaheim in six games.
Six games. After two straight Stanley Cup Final runs. Read that again.
Why a Bowman coaching hire sounds close
The Ducks won the series 4-2, capping it with a 5-2 demolition on home ice for Edmonton in Game 6. The exit was loud, and it was early.
A team with Connor McDavid putting up 138 points and Leon Draisaitl producing 97 in 65 games does not lose a first round to Anaheim and shrug it off.
So when Friedman name-drops Cassidy, plus Laviolette and Berube, the message is obvious. Bowman wants experience. He wants pedigree. He wants someone who has lifted the Cup or come close enough to taste it.
Here's the awkward part. Cassidy is under contract with the Golden Knights. Laviolette was let go by the Rangers. Berube is under contract with the Leafs.
Friedman knows this. The fact that he listed them anyway tells you Edmonton is willing to ask, and willing to wait for permission that may never come.
You can read his post in full here.
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The 41-win regular season, the plus-13 goal differential, the second-round absence after two Cup runs. None of it points to a quiet summer in Alberta.
Knoblauch's record since taking over in November 2023 is excellent. His playoff résumé is, frankly, more impressive than most of the names Friedman just floated. That's the part nobody in Edmonton wants to say out loud.
But contention windows close fast in this league. McDavid turns 30 next season. Draisaitl is signed long term at a number that demands rings.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 16, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Rasmus Dahlin | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
| Tage Thompson | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jack Quinn | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Zach Benson | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jake Evans | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Jason Zucker | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Ivan Demidov | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Konsta Helenius | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Zach Metsa | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Arber Xhekaj | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Bowen Byram | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Cole Caufield | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Michael Matheson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Ryan McLeod | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Norris | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Mattias Samuelsson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||