The Edmonton Oilers have a problem on their hands. That they asked to speak with Bruce Cassidy about possibly coaching the team is news, but not shocking news. That they didn't first fire Kris Knoblauch is surprising, but some believe it's how many teams operate when making a change. That it all got out is where things get complicated. 

Even if Cassidy doesn't choose to join the Oilers or never interviews, how do the Oilers and Knoblauch rewind time? Most believe they can't, which means there's a spill on aisle six and someone is going to have to clean it up. 

Elliotte Friedman noted on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast:

"First of all, let me give you the latest update as of late Tuesday night when we recorded this podcast. I’m under the impression that neither the Oilers nor the Kings have been given permission to speak with Bruce Cassidy. As I understand it, this isn’t just an Edmonton situation—the Kings haven’t been granted permission either."

That makes things a little better -- in that it wasn't necessarily the Golden Knights trying to stick it to the Oilers -- but it doesn't fix the Oilers' problem. 

He adds, "That said, I think there’s some semantics here. There’s a bit of frustration that this is taking longer than expected, but from what I can tell, it’s not a “no”—it’s just not a “yes” yet. Call it delayed, dragging their feet, whatever you want."

It's too soon to know where this is all going to land. Cassidy may ultimately interview and be hired by Edmonton. He may not. 

Friedman noted, "There’s no doubt in my mind Cassidy is the top available candidate. If I were hiring, all things equal, he’d be my guy. Yes, he’s demanding. Yes, he can be tough on players. But he gets results—and he’s proven it. He took Boston to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and won it all in Vegas. Maybe there’s an expiration date, maybe he’s not for everyone, but he communicates well and delivers quickly. That matters for teams like Edmonton and Los Angeles."

And, if the Oilers ultimately do hire him, it's because they believe he's the better fit than Knoblauch is. They're unafraid to turn over every rock to push this team forward, and if that means moving on from someone they just gave an extension to, bringing in the flavor of the day to get an elite team to play like it, they will.

"I don’t think the Oilers will apologize," said Friedman. "They see it as doing whatever it takes to win, evaluating every option."

Still, this is something they would preferred not get out. 

"What may have happened here is they wanted to handle this quietly—talk to Cassidy, then decide whether to make a change. There’s a world where they considered listening without acting. But now that it’s public, and Kris Knoblauch knows, I don’t know how you walk that back. You might have to make the change simply because it’s out there."

He added, "And that’s tough optics. You just gave the coach a three-year extension that hasn’t even kicked in yet. That’s not a great look for the organization."

This isn't the first time the Oilers have felt the need to pull the plug on a coach. as Friedman noted, "It’s not always pretty." He brought up how Knoblauch was hired in the first place to replace Jay Woodcroft near the end of a road trip. Woodcroft wasn't pleased about the process either. How many coaches really are? There's a good chance that as many coaches are relieved of their duties with backups already in place as there are situations where that's not the case. 

Still, it's not a good look for the Oilers and the downside is, assuming they were open to keeping Knoblauch, they'll likely have to move on regardless of whether a replacement is found right away or not.

"The Oilers likely hoped to keep this quiet, but that’s no longer possible. Once these conversations start, you have to assume they’ll get out. Be paranoid—be pleasantly surprised if they don’t leak, but don’t expect secrecy," said Friedman. 

In some respects, the Oilers should get a bit of a pass. They likely intended to move quickly and were shocked to find out they wouldn't be given access to talk to a fired coach. "As for permission, it should be granted to both teams. This kind of thing happens all the time—teams often line up a replacement before firing a coach. It’s more common in-season, but the logic still applies," said Friedman.

If that's the case, this might all been done in a matter of hours, with the public (including Knoblauch and the players) never having been made aware. 

As for why Vegas said no?

One theory floating around is whether Vegas wants clarity on Cassidy’s remaining salary. He reportedly makes around $4.5 million with a year left. The thought is that Vegas wanted clarification that they wouldn't be on the hook for any of that they're obligated to pay him. 

Ultimately, permission will be granted. It’s just a matter of when. Unfortunately for Knoblauch, this is how he found out and now he's left to stew, knowing that the Oilers are likely going to call him and let him go. 

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