The Los Angeles Kings’ coaching search has remained relatively quiet in recent weeks, but new comments from general manager Ken Holland may have revealed what the organization values most in its next head coach.
Outside of the ongoing Bruce Cassidy situation, very little concrete reporting has surfaced regarding the Kings’ coaching search this offseason. The Kings are also still considering now-former interim head coach DJ Smith to potentially be the next full-time head coach behind the bench next season.
He has also remained consistent throughout the offseason that the organization plans to focus on a relatively small group of coaching candidates during the search.
Ken Holland values improvement on special teams and in the zone offensively for the Los Angeles Kings
Those concerns may ultimately work against Smith’s candidacy if the Kings decide they need a more offensively progressive coaching voice behind the bench.
Holland sat down with Kings' insider Zach Dooley for an interview late this week. His comments during the interview provided one of the clearest indications yet regarding what Los Angeles values in its next coaching hire.
"The process is, pretty much everyone is under contract to somebody, so you have to ask for permission and then it’s that team’s right to determine if they want to grant permission or if they don’t want to grant permission. Over the years, I’ve had some calls about maybe not head coaches, but people called and we didn’t want to let them go and we found a way to keep them. That’s your right, that’s what you’ve negotiated when you sign people to a contract. I’ve been around the game a long time to know that if somebody’s decided that they don’t want to grant permission, they’ve negotiated that right and you move on."Ken Holland
The ongoing uncertainty surrounding Bruce Cassidy’s availability has also complicated portions of the coaching search this offseason. His comments suggest that the organization could prioritize a head coaching candidate capable of bringing a more aggressive and confident system offensively in the zone and improved special teams structure going forward.
Holland specifically pointed to special teams as one of the organization’s biggest concerns after the Kings finished near the bottom of the NHL on both the power play and penalty kill last season. He also emphasized the need for more offensive production from the blue line moving forward.
"Special teams have to improve. We were 30th in penalty killing and 28th in power play. It’s hard to think that if we go into next year again and we’re in the bottom of the league in both categories, that we’re going to make the playoffs. Special teams have to improve. We’ve got to get a little bit more attack out of our defense. Whether it’s changing the personnel and finding somebody or do we play a little bit different. I think we were 30th in the league [in points from defensemen]. It’s a little bit of a theme here. I was looking the other day, over the last four years, at points by defensemen."Holland
In the modern NHL, it's important to highlight how critical offensive creativity and puck movement from the blue line have become.
This all suggests that the Kings are searching for more than just stability behind the bench. Los Angeles appears focused on finding a coach capable of modernizing the offense, improving special teams, and helping push the organization closer to legitimate contender status in the Western Conference.
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