Top 4 Head Coaching Candidates for Edmonton Oilers (+ 2 Wild Cards)
The Edmonton Oilers have finally tied the can to Kris Knoblauch. After a completely uninspired campaign (Connor McDavid referred to the team as "average"), and a first-round flop in the playoffs, the Oil are now mining for a new bench boss.
Let's have a look at 4 top candidates to take over behind the Oilers' bench.
Bruce Cassidy
Yes, of course, he is Priority No. 1 for Edmonton, and might even make the rest of this list a moot point. After all, their interest in Cassidy leaking out is the reason that Knoblauch is out of a job today. And they were roasted over the coals for it.
But for now, the division rival Vegas Golden Knights haven't given permission for the Oilers to talk to Cassidy (who is still being paid for two more seasons by Vegas, at a hefty $4.5M AAV). According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Golden Knights likely want to make sure that they won't be on the hook for any of that money after Cassidy signs a new deal (i.e. his new team would have to pay him at least $4.5M a year).
David Carle
The three-time national champion head coach of the University of Denver, Carle, 36, has an impeccable reputation as an up-and-coming coach. He was heavily recruited by the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks last summer, but he doesn't have to go anywhere, as he's got a job for life in Denver after leading the Pioneers to a ridiculous 208-85-20 record over the past eight years, with three NCAA titles in the past five years. We wonder, however, if a first-time NHL coach is not really what the two-time Finalists in Edmonton need at this point.
Peter Laviolette
"Laviolette is a veteran coach with a lengthy track record and Stanley Cup experience. He is known for his intense style and ability to get quick results from talented teams," writes Jim Parsons in The Hockey News. Laviolette has one Stanley Cup ring (2006, Carolina), and has led three different teams to the Stanley Cup Final.
Gerard Gallant
"He’s been considered one of the better coaches in the league, helping take the Golden Knights to the 2018 Stanley Cup final in his first year," said Zach Laing in Oilers Nation. Like Laviolette, he did not coach in the NHL this past year, but rather took on a job with the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons.
Now for a couple of wild card possibilities:
Paul Coffey
The Oilers legend, Coffey, had to be coerced into being brought back as an assistant coach this season, so one has to wonder how much he would want to be head coach.
"What's interesting about Coffey is the speculation that he was kind of the unofficial man in charge, even with Knoblauch keeping the head coaching title. Coffey has a direct line to ownership, is opinionated and has earned a ton of respect for how talented a player he was," wrote Parsons.
