Kris Knoblauch report leaves Oilers, Kings waiting on Bruce Cassidy

kris knoblauch is at the center of a coaching search that now has a hard stop: the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings have not been given permission to talk to Bruce Cassidy. Elliotte Friedman said that remained the case as of last night after the game, and he repeated this morning that neither team had permission yet.

Vegas holds Cassidy’s rights

Friedman said Vegas had full control over the situation when he spoke, which leaves the Golden Knights in charge of whether either Western Conference club can move forward. He also said he did not believe Cassidy was shutting requests down and would be open to conversations with teams.

That sets up a narrow path for the Kings and Oilers. Cassidy is not a candidate for Los Angeles until permission is granted, so the process cannot move from interest to an actual interview without Vegas opening the door first.

Kings search stays on hold

Ken Holland’s initial list for the Kings coaching search was somewhere between 5 and 8 names, and Cassidy sits inside the group that cannot be pursued yet. The article also said hiring him could require the new team to pick up some or all of his salary, depending on the terms that get worked out.

That salary piece is the friction point. Permission and compensation are tied together, so the Kings cannot treat Cassidy like a free option while Vegas still controls his status.

Berube enters the picture

The timing got more complicated earlier today when Toronto made a coaching change and Craig Berube became available. Reports in Edmonton about coaching changes were also present, and assistants on teams currently playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs could still factor into the search.

For the Kings, the immediate reality is simple: the list is wider than one name, but the path to Cassidy runs through Vegas. Until that changes, Holland’s search has to keep moving around a coach it cannot yet speak to.