- Strickland reports Vegas has denied the Kings permission to interview Bruce Cassidy
- LeBrun says no team has gotten permission to talk to Cassidy as of Monday
- Read below for why Vegas keeps blocking and where Toronto lands
Vegas isn’t letting anyone talk to Bruce Cassidy.
Not Edmonton. Not Los Angeles. Not anyone.
FanDuel Sports Network’s Andy Strickland reported Monday that the Golden Knights have denied the Kings permission to speak with Cassidy about their head coaching vacancy. Toronto, per Strickland, hadn’t even formally asked yet as of Sunday night:
Earlier on Monday, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirmed Vegas hadn’t granted permission to any team to interview Cassidy, who has another year left on his Knights deal:
This isn’t a new tactic for Vegas. The Knights already blocked the Oilers from speaking with Cassidy, which played a part in Edmonton firing Kris Knoblauch and moving on. Edmonton got permission from Toronto to interview Craig Berube on Monday, and he’s now the early favorite for the Oilers job.
Cassidy is a Pacific Division coach with a Cup ring. Letting him walk to a division rival means two games a year against someone who knows your system. As long as Vegas keeps paying his contract, they’re allowed to say no.
Toronto is the one option left where Vegas would have less reason to push back. But on Friday’s 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the Maple Leafs are “prepared to go fresh” with “someone new, someone different,” and called it “extremely unlikely” Cassidy ends up there.
The Knights fired Cassidy in March and handed the rest of the season to John Tortorella. Three coaching jobs are open across the league, the most accomplished available coach is stuck in a holding pattern, and Vegas controls the door.
