After firing Craig Berube, the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ next step is to set up head coaching interviews across the NHL. One person in particular is gaining traction around the league and that is Bruce Cassidy. Although teams like the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers have reportedly ran into a Vegas Golden Knights blockade, the Buds may have an ace up their sleeves to reach the 60-year-old head coach.
As reported by Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet, Toronto is expected to reach out to Cassidy. Such a hiring would make much sense after the Maple Leafs explained the firing of Berube following the 2025-26 NHL season. Still, the Buds would first need to be granted permission by the Golden Knights.
That crucial step is one neither the Oilers nor Kings have been able to get past yet. As a result, the two Pacific Division rivals of Vegas remain in the dark regarding their head coaching searches. Moreover, both Edmonton and Los Angeles technically do not have openings at the head coach position. Kris Knoblauch is still under contract in Alberta, while interim coach DJ Smith—who replaced Jim Hiller—remains with the organization in California.
Maple Leafs do have a head coach vacancy
Right from the start, Toronto holds an advantage in that regard, as it actually has a vacancy. The Maple Leafs first fired Berube, and only afterward will they begin talks with available coaches. For all the controversy surrounding the hiring of GM John Chayka in Hogtown, the former Arizona Coyotes executive has operated by the book so far.
John Chayka speaks at a press conference.
Moreover, the Maple Leafs as an organization may also have better luck dealing with the Golden Knights. First and foremost, Toronto is far away in the Atlantic Division, posing little threat to Vegas outside of a potential Stanley Cup Final matchup. Considering how the past season unfolded for Toronto, one could argue the odds of the Buds competing for the Cup anytime soon remain slim.
Toronto gets along better with Vegas than LA and Edmonton
That said, the Maple Leafs did come away with the No. 1 pick in 2026 and reportedly have no concerns about drafting Gavin McKenna, who could make an immediate impact. Secondly, it was less than a year ago that Toronto and Vegas negotiated in good faith to complete the Mitch Marner–Nicolas Roy trade. Indeed, it was Brad Treliving who served as GM and pulled the strings in Ontario, but the Knights may still feel as though they owe something to the Leafs.
Not that such sentiment is common in the NHL—especially not in Sin City, where the Golden Knights have built a reputation as a disruptive organization. Regardless, the Maple Leafs’ front office may look quite different than it did back in July 2025, but it is still the same hockey club.
Plus, the Golden Knights know they cannot block off Cassidy forever. Doing so for too long may cross certain moral boundaries. At some point, they will have to allow teams to interview him, and right now Toronto appears to be the most logical landing spot from Vegas’ perspective. Perhaps giving the Maple Leafs more time to sell its pitch to Cassidy is the perfect way for the Golden Knights to send a message to the Oilers and Kings.
Cassidy has a say in the matter
At the end of the day, though, Cassidy isn’t Vegas’ property. Granted, he has one year remaining on his contract that some team will have to pay, but the Golden Knights can’t keep him under wraps forever. At some point, sooner or later, the NHL will intervene if the blockade persists. When it’s all said and done, it will be Cassidy who chooses where to sign next, and that’s where the Golden Knights’ influence comes to an end.
The longer Vegas keeps Cassidy quarantined from the rest of the league, the greater the odds he seeks revenge by signing with a divisional rival. It’s a risky game the Golden Knights are playing, and for the first time in the city’s history, the house might come away a loser in the Entertainment Capital of the World.
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