Bruce Cassidy (former Vegas Golden Knights head coach)
There aren't many names on a list like this that I would consider an immediate possibility for the Kings to get a solid head coaching hire in the West in the Pacific Division, like Cassidy. When the Golden Knights fired Cassidy quickly earlier this week in the West, it did come as a bit of a surprise in the league in the NHL in the past few days.
Cassidy will probably get hired almost immediately this upcoming offseason in the summer of 2026 with another team in the league and ahead of the upcoming 2027-28 season.
In this past few years, Cassidy has become very accomplished as an NHL head coach, leading the Golden Knights in Vegas to a Stanley Cup in 2023 a few years ago. He led the Golden Knights to 50-win seasons and over 100 points in the West in the Pacific Division in two of this last three years (since the 2022-23 season in Vegas).
Before getting the job as the Golden Knights head coach in Vegas ahead of the 2022-23 season, Cassidy was the bench boss of the Boston Bruins for over a half-decade in the 2010s and early 2020s decades (from 2017-2022). He led the Bruins to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 2019. And Boston made appearances in the postseason in the playoffs every year with Cassidy as the team's head coach.
I think Cassidy could be a great addition and make an immediate impact on the Kings' organization this upcoming offseason in the summer of 2026 and next season going into the 2026-27 campaign in the West in the Pacific Division.