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Here's the latest on Edmonton Oilers coaching search

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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May 27 2026, 3:55 pm
Here's the latest on Edmonton Oilers coaching search
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The Edmonton Oilers have some changes to make this season, and the first will be finding a new head coach.

After firing Kris Knoblauch, it’s been widely reported that the Oilers are looking for a head coach with a championship pedigree.

The name everyone continues to talk about in Edmonton is Bruce Cassidy. The Oilers are certainly interested, but have still yet to receive permission from the Vegas Golden Knights to talk with him. In the meantime, management has been doing its due diligence on other potential candidates.

One of those candidates is Craig Berube. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Oilers chatted with the former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach for several hours over the weekend.

Another name to keep an eye on is Peter Laviolette. After sitting out the 2025-26 season, the 61-year-old is looking to get back behind the bench, and it sounds as though the Oilers have reached out to him.

“They’re not in any massive rush here,” Jason Gregor said on Sports 1440 this Tuesday. “There has been interviews. I am pretty confident, certain that Laviolette has been interviewed by the Oilers.”

As far as coaches with winning experience at the NHL level, the three above would seemingly be the best logical fits for the Oilers. That said, there are plenty of other intriguing candidates available.

Additional names being discussed for the several vacant coaching positions in the NHL include the likes of Dean Evason, Jay Woodcroft, David Carle, and Todd Nelson.

Whoever does take the Oilers job will be coming into a high-pressure situation. After a frustrating 2025-26 season followed by a first-round exit, this team needs to turn things around in 2026-27, as Connor McDavid is set to enter the first year of a two-year contract extension signed last October.

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