It's been made pretty clear early this offseason that former Vegas Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy is one of the top early coaching candidates on the carousel for the Los Angeles Kings and general manager Ken Holland.
Elliotte Friedman reported on May 19 that the Golden Knights are not interested in giving the Edmonton Oilers and the Kings permission to interview Cassidy early this offseason. However, Friedman also reported that Vegas has not explicitly denied the Toronto Maple Leafs permission to interview Cassidy for their coaching vacancy.
Friedman’s report also reinforced previous speculation that neither the Kings nor the Oilers would be permitted to interview Cassidy while the situation remains unresolved. The Golden Knights may also be reluctant to allow Cassidy to immediately join a division rival that could directly compete with Vegas in the Pacific Division next season.
At some point, the Kings may ultimately need to decide whether waiting on Cassidy is worth potentially losing out on other coaching candidates still available on the market.
I get the argument that the Golden Knights don't want to allow a Pacific Division rival, like the Oilers and/or the Kings, to interview Cassidy. But the situation still feels highly unusual given that Vegas is preventing multiple teams from interviewing a fired head coach during the offseason.
"Regarding Bruce Cassidy, teams have asked for permission to speak with Bruce. We've been consistent that our focus currently is on the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the teams have respected that. I've spoken with Bruce. He understands this as well."Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon
Situations like this could also draw additional league-wide attention because coaching movement is typically viewed as an important part of maintaining competitive balance across the NHL.
We still don't know how long the Kings will be willing to be patient and wait out this process for the Golden Knights to eventually grant Cassidy permission to interview with Los Angeles this offseason. Cassidy’s Stanley Cup pedigree and long track record of success remain extremely appealing for a Kings organization still trying to become a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.
Hiring Cassidy would likely signal that the Kings still view themselves as a legitimate win-now contender in the Western Conference despite recent postseason disappointment in this past few years.
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