Insider Implies Oilers HAVE Spoken To Bruce Cassidy

Former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy

The Bruce Cassidy/Vegas Golden Knights drama carries on. With the team now getting set for the Stanley Cup Finals beginning next week, they will most surely be standing pat on their refusal of all interview requests for their fired (but still under contract) head coach Bruce Cassidy.

The Edmonton Oilers are one team that was notably turned down. He seems like exactly the head coach that club needs. Is it possible they'll continue waiting to see if he has interest in the job... Or do they know that already?

Insider Andy Strickland of the Cam & Strick podcast has implied that the Oilers might already have gotten word from Cassidy that he is interested in their job opening.

You really don’t think teams like Edmonton can’t have back channel communication with Bruce Cassidy? There are certainly ways to talk, Vegas will eventually allow permission once their season ends. If not Bettman will get involved. @CamandStrick
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) May 29, 2026

"You really don’t think teams like Edmonton can’t have back-channel communication with Bruce Cassidy?" asks Strickland. "There are certainly ways to talk."

He adds that he expects that the Golden Knights will eventually give permission for the Oilers to "officially" talk to him once their season ends. "If not, (NHL Commissioner Gary) Bettman will get involved," says Strickland.

The Golden Knights fired Cassidy with eight games left in the regular season and replaced him with John Tortorella. The team just wrapped up a shocking four-game sweep of the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Final. But they've continued to insist that they won't be giving any permission to speak to Cassidy—who still has one year left on his contract at a reported $4.5M—until after their playoff run is done.

Bruce Cassidy speaks out: 'It's frustrating — I want to go to work'

Cassidy spoke out on Thursday, appearing on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast. He sounded frustrated by the whole thing.

“It’s upsetting…There was two teams that asked it’s public knowledge now, and I would like to talk to them. I want to go to work. I’m a hockey coach.”

Bruce Cassidy speaks on Vegas not allowing him to interview for other teams. pic.twitter.com/cXx4ijCKZS
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 28, 2026

“It’s upsetting, I'm gonna be honest," says Cassidy. “Because once you’re fired, your contract is basically terminated.”

"There was two teams that asked—it’s public knowledge now—and I would like to talk to them. I want to go to work. I’m a hockey coach...

"I don't know if there'll be clarity on it. There hasn't been yet. We keep asking to see if we can get on with my coaching career... I still think they could take some time to work it out."

Cassidy then asked the perplexing question surrounding this that he just can't figure out:

"So I'm not good enough to coach the Vegas Golden Knights, but I'm, what, too good of a coach to coach whatever team asks?"

And finally:

"The ironic part is, Vegas had to get permission from Philly to hire Torts!"