Reports indicate that the Vegas Golden Knights are continuing to block certain teams from interviewing fired head coach Bruce Cassidy. Specifically, the Los Angeles Kings were denied permission to speak with Cassidy. As of Sunday night, it was not believed that the Toronto Maple Leafs had formally requested permission to interview him.
Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers have reportedly held initial discussions with potential head coaching candidate Craig Berube. General Manager Stan Bowman is expected to conduct a formal interview with Berube. However, similar to the Kings, the Oilers had not yet received permission to interview Bruce Cassidy as of Sunday night.
Team Updates and Player Movement Speculation
The Edmonton Oilers are slated to interview Craig Berube for their head coaching vacancy. Beyond coaching, GM Stan Bowman is also looking to strengthen the team’s defense corps, acquire a top-six winger, a third-line center, and add grit to their fourth line. There is speculation that defenseman Darnell Nurse could be explored on the trade market, with the San Jose Sharks potentially being a suitable trade partner.
Front office changes are also being considered by the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders, in addition to the Oilers.
There is considerable interest from several NHL teams in Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The Jets themselves are focused on improving their second line.
The New Jersey Devils are expected to sign their 2024 first-round draft pick, defenseman Anton Silayev (10th overall), to his entry-level contract, likely in early June.
Several St. Louis Blues players are likely to be part of offseason trade rumors, including goaltender Jordan Binnington, forward Jordan Kyrou, and defenseman Colton Parayko. If Sergei Bobrovsky does not re-sign with the Florida Panthers, Binnington could emerge as a potential target for them.
The Dallas Stars possess approximately $11 million in salary cap space. However, pending restricted free agent Jason Robertson is reportedly seeking a contract around $12 million. Defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin, with a $3.25 million cap hit, is also likely to be made available again.
Forward Blake Coleman and player Morgan Frost are two individuals to monitor regarding potential moves involving the Calgary Flames.
