Los Angeles and Edmonton in the mix for Bruce Cassidy
During the May 9th edition of TFP Hotstove on Sirius XM NHL Network Radio with Ryan Paton, Dennis Bernstein, and Dave Pagnotta, the question was raised about where Bruce Cassidy will coach next. Will it be with the Los Angeles Kings, the Edmonton Oilers, or somewhere else?
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Ryan Paton: “The Vegas Golden Knights. We talked about them, gents that they won last night (Friday night), 6-2 over the Anaheim Ducks. Dave, their former coach, Bruce Cassidy, was with Vegas. John Tortorella came on board late in the season. The rest is history. Yada yada yada. Is Bruce going to get a job somewhere else in the NHL? Dave, maybe, only will tell.”
Dave Pagnotta: “Well, he’s in the mix. It seems like more, at least, is under consideration internally with Edmonton, as we’ve known, but that’s not the only potential suitor, as the Oilers have to decide what they want to do.
It’s an Important Offseason for the Edmonton Oilers
A coaching change won’t just fix all their problems. They got a lot to do out there in Edmonton, and it does sound like they’re going to explore a variety of different options in terms of who they’re going to move out, who they’re going to try to bring in, and different holes they’re going to fill. Where was I going with that? I was going with Bruce Cassidy?”
Dennis Bernstein: “Bruce Cassidy”
Pagnotta: “Yes, potentially, I got all caught up in all the Oilers stick. But as they, as they try to figure all that stuff out, not the only potential suitor, as I mentioned, for Bruce Cassidy, he’s in the mix in Los Angeles. The LA Kings are going to determine what they want to do. But I don’t know if he’s had a discussion yet, but I believe he will if he hasn’t with LA for technically their vacancy, because it’s an interim position for DJ Smith, who is also going to be under consideration for that full-time gig.”
Paton: “What do you think, Dennis?”
Bernstein: “Yeah, if they can afford him. Yeah, absolutely sure. Is he the best available? Well, I don’t know. Who else is out there? (Peter) Laviolette, (Gerard) Gallant, I don’t know who else. But yeah Bruce Cassidy in Los Angeles, sure, it’d be an upgrade. As much as they want to talk about how the team performed better with DJ Smith, and they did in the regular season, but they played a weaker schedule.
Have the Edmonton Oilers Gone in the Wrong Direction?
They had a what .609 points percentage, because they made a point to say that when they ended the season. But as we all know, their points percentage in the playoffs was 0.00. So while DJ Smith was certainly in the mix, and they did perform better, and they were a more exciting team with him behind the bench, yeah, I mean, can his resume stack up against Bruce Cassidy’s? It can’t.”
Pagnotta: “Yeah. Look, we’ll see what they end up doing. I think we’re going to see, not just from this potential situation in LA, the potential change in Edmonton, there are other coaching, assistant coaching, management/front office staff. Changes that we are going to see over the next couple of months. Some people’s contracts are running up and might not be returning.”
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