The Oilers' coaching plans may have just changed because of Connor McDavid
Connor McDavid and Craig Berube are now tied directly to Edmonton's coaching search if Bruce Cassidy stays out of reach.
That is the clearest read from Chris Johnston's latest note.
He said the Oilers have to be prepared for other options, and that Berube is a real one if the Cassidy route does not materialize.
That matters because it tells you Edmonton is no longer only dreaming on the perfect name.
It is building the next lane too.
And honestly, it has to.
The Oilers cannot sit around waiting forever on one scenario while the biggest summer in the organization keeps moving.
This search is too important for that.
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Berube fits exactly what Edmonton sounds like it wants
He brings pedigree, edge, and the kind of bench presence that can change the feel of a room fast.
That is why his name keeps sticking.
Edmonton does not need a soft reset coach right now. It needs somebody who can walk into a high-pressure room, command it immediately, and push a roster that still believes it should be chasing the Stanley Cup.
Berube checks that box.
He also feels like a cleaner fallback than some other names because there is no mystery about what he is. He is demanding, direct, and experienced.
For a team built around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, that profile makes a lot of sense.
The Cassidy part is still the flashier angle.
If Edmonton could get to him, you understand why that would be tempting. But Johnston's quote is the useful one because it sounds like the Oilers know they may need to pivot.
And if they do, Berube is not some panic option.
He is a serious one.
That is the key here.
Sometimes fallback names sound like compromise. Berube does not. He sounds like the kind of coach who could still walk in and make people think Edmonton got stronger behind the bench.
That is why this report lands.
It shows the Oilers are not only waiting on one dream outcome. They are working like a team that knows the McDavid clock does not leave room for passive searches or delayed decisions.
If Cassidy happens, fine.
If not, Craig Berube is sitting there looking more and more like the next big conversation in Edmonton.
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YESTERDAY
MAY 23, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Josh Anderson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Phillip Danault | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Mark Jankowski | - | 2 | 2 | |
| Eric Robinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Kaiden Guhle | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Jaccob Slavin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | - | - | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Jackson Blake | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Cole Caufield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Ivan Demidov | - | - | - | |
| Jakub Dobes | - | - | - | |
| Noah Dobson | - | - | - | |
| Jake Evans | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||