Darren Dreger's coaching update regarding Peter Laviolette affects Edmonton and Toronto

That is the real Edmonton story now.

Not noise. Not filler. A Stanley Cup-winning coach is being tied to a team that just cut loose the man who took it to back-to-back Finals.

Knoblauch's exit was ruthless timing. Edmonton moved him out before his next contract even kicked in, after a first-round playoff exit that changed the entire temperature around the room.

The Oilers also moved on from assistant coach Mark Stuart, which makes this more than a one-seat shuffle.

Darren Dreger then put Laviolette near the board, saying Toronto was probably not the fit, while Edmonton and Los Angeles made more sense.

The post is short, but the signal is clear: Dreger names Laviolette and immediately points toward veteran teams that need a closer.

Dreger believes Edmonton is a possible frontrunner for Laviolette, while Toronto is not.

Laviolette would not be a soft reset. He would be a pressure hire for a locker room built around McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

That is why the name has weight. Laviolette won the Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006, and Edmonton is not shopping for a patient builder.

Stan Bowman has to find a coach who can walk into that room and command it on day one.

This is where the Oilers' search gets dangerous. Hire too safe, and the move looks cosmetic. Hire Laviolette, and the message is blunt.

The regular season is not the bar anymore.

Edmonton's next coach has to sharpen the blue line, tighten the bench, and get more out of a group that has already burned through several chances.

Los Angeles can make a pitch too, especially with Ken Holland involved there.

But Edmonton has the bigger urgency because McDavid turns every coaching decision into a franchise-level call.