Elliotte Friedman just confirmed Craig Berube's next move in the NHL
Craig Berube and Kris Knoblauch are now tied to the same Edmonton opening after Stan Bowman made his move behind the bench.
The Oilers fired Knoblauch on Thursday after a first-round exit and closed a three-year run that still included back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final.
Now the focus has shifted just as fast to Berube, who was fired by the Maple Leafs on May 13 after only two seasons in Toronto.
Ryan Rishaug reported Sunday that a formal interview with Berube is expected in Edmonton after an initial conversation between Berube and Bowman.
Elliotte Friedman also confirmed more on the matter.
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That matters because Edmonton had also tried to speak with Bruce Cassidy, and Rishaug reported permission had still not been granted as of Sunday night.
So this is no longer just a wide-open coaching search.
Berube has real traction, and Edmonton clearly isn't waiting around for one path to open.
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Berube also checks the biggest box on the market. He has a Stanley Cup on his résumé and a reputation for demanding direct, heavy hockey.
Why Berube fits Edmonton right now
This Oilers roster isn't built for a learning curve.
Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are in a win-now window, and Bowman just signaled he wants a different voice immediately.
That's where Berube makes sense.
His teams usually play with structure through the middle of the ice, lean on straight-line pressure, and don't get cute when the game tightens.
Toronto never gave him much runway.
Berube finished 84-62-18 with the Leafs, but the club collapsed to 32-36-14 this season and missed the playoffs, which ended his run fast.
Edmonton's situation is different.
This is not a rebuild, and it's not a roster that needs patience speeches. It needs a coach who can grab the locker room on Day 1.
Berube has carried that kind of edge before.
Players know what the standard looks like with him, especially when details on the forecheck, special teams, and defensive-zone exits start slipping.
The other part here is timing. Once Cassidy was blocked, Edmonton had to move hard toward the next serious option, and Berube is sitting there with experience, pedigree, and no waiting period.
Nothing is official yet.
But when initial talks are already done and a formal interview is expected, this has moved well past loose offseason chatter.
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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 | ||||