It just might be possible that the Edmonton Oilers asked to speak to the wrong head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights. Now that Kris Knoblauch has caught up with the rest of us and is aware that he won't be coaching the Oilers in 2026-27, the candidate search is well underway.
Bruce Cassidy's name is going to come up until he gets a job somewhere else or the Oilers finally receive permission to speak with him. However, the guy coaching the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoff version of the Golden Knights might be worthy of consideration.
Naturally he has to leave that role first, and the further his team proceeds into the NHL Playoffs, the less likely he'll be available on the coachinh market. But John Tortorella has a proven track record of parachuting into a team and getting more out of the roster in the short term than the previous guy. He has a Stanley Cup ring, and he won't be intimidated by the concept of coaching superstars, because he's done it many times before.
Historical success
While his initial season guiding the Tampa Bay Lightning was underwhelming, he eventually coached that team to its first Stanley Cup. After Tampa, he coached a not-great New York Rangers team into a playoff spot, and took a far deeper Washington Capitals to seven games as an underdog.
Next he arrived in Vancouver, and the Canucks got off to an incredibly strong start, going 25-16-9 in their first fifty games. The Columbus Bluejackets were a bad team, but he got them to the postseason in four out of five seasons there.
So while recency bias might look at his time with the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers and question if he still has the chops to compete as a NHL head coach, looking at the past month and a half in Vegas should put that thought to bed.
Easy mistake to correct
If it doesn't work out, Tortorella is easy to fire. He rarely ingratiates himself with media and fans, and the other truth about him is that his coaching style seems to have a distinct shelf life. The short term success often flares out.
Edmonton needs short term success. They have to take a massive step forward next season, because the Pacific Division will be harder to win, and the Western Conference is looking frighteningly deep. If the window has closed, Tortorella just might be the guy to push the Oilers past the line.
Plus, selfishly, I think his postgame interactions with Oilers media would be worth the price of admission.
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