Multiple head coaching candidates have already interviewed with the Los Angeles Kings this offseason, while others could soon join the coaching search.
Candidates who the Kings have already interviewed or have spoken to early this offseason include former New York Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette and Anaheim Ducks assistant coach Jay Woodcroft.
The Fourth Period's David Pagnotta reported this past weekend that the Kings could interview former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube on the coaching carousel this offseason. He's reportedly already interviewed with the Edmonton Oilers early this offseason, and he "wouldn't be surprised" if the Kings also interviewed Berube in the near future.
Los Angeles Kings need postseason progress and offensive growth, raising questions about whether Berube is the ideal fit
Berube's résumé speaks for itself. He won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019 and has spent more than a decade coaching in the NHL. If Los Angeles ultimately interviews him, he would immediately become one of the most accomplished candidates linked to the opening.
The concern is not whether Berube is a qualified NHL coach. The concern is whether he represents the type of coaching change the Kings actually need after five consecutive first-round playoff exits.
He also recently coached a talented Toronto roster that ultimately failed to make a significant postseason breakthrough. While that alone should not define his candidacy, it does raise questions about whether he is the coach best equipped to help Los Angeles overcome its own playoff frustrations.
Fair or not, coaching another talented roster that failed to break through in the postseason makes it more difficult to view Berube as the transformational hire Los Angeles may be searching for.
Los Angeles has generally been a disciplined and defensively responsible team. The next step is finding a way to unlock more offensive creativity and production when the games matter most. That reality may make a more offensively minded coach a better fit moving forward.
The Kings need a coach who can strike a good balance between developing a young core, boosting the offense and playmaking in the zone, and getting the team over the hump in the postseason in the Western Conference in the long term.
The development of players like Quinton Byfield, Brandt Clarke, and prospects like Henry Bruzstewicz and Carter George could be just as important to the franchise's future as the team's short-term playoff success.
Los Angeles may be better served pursuing a coach who brings either a more modern offensive approach or a stronger track record of developing young talent.
Berube would bring experience, credibility, and a proven track record. But after five straight first-round exits and the retirement of Anze Kopitar, the Kings may need a coach who represents a new vision for the franchise rather than another familiar name on the NHL coaching carousel.
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