League News: NHL Talk - (News n' Scores n' Stuff) | 2025-26 Free Agent Frenzy

[Ovechkins Wodka]

It’s kind of BS what they’re doing to Bruce I remember him as a young coach with our team. He struggled very much but they should let him do his job and coach other team teams if they want him.

It was GMGM who brought him into the league and now he’s punishing him. There has to be some bad blood.

 

[Kalopsia]

Kinda wish the Caps had offered to top that with #18.

 

[um]

I don't get the Kesselring hype. Last year seemed to be a bust in Buffalo.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

If I’m Vegas, why would I want to pay Cassidy to coach a rival like Edmonton next year? They’ll pay him like $1 and the Knights will pay the rest. No thanks. If I’m paying you, you’re not going to be coaching against me while I honor our contract.

 

[Kalopsia]

I don't get the Kesselring hype. Last year seemed to be a bust in Buffalo.

He had a bunch of injuries and never really got a chance to work his way back into the lineup, so the buy-low opportunity was enticing. Late-blooming 6'5 RHD who looked like he was growing into a solid all-around defenseman before the disaster year in Buffalo. Ideally the Caps will aim higher for a Carlson replacement, but it seemed like a decent gamble that would've left plenty of assets to invest up front instead.

 

[qcal1427]

Depends a lot on the eventual extension but that’s a deal I would’ve made but am not kicking myself over the fact that they didn’t make it if that makes sense

 

[um]

He had a bunch of injuries and never really got a chance to work his way back into the lineup, so the buy-low opportunity was enticing. Late-blooming 6'5 RHD who looked like he was growing into a solid all-around defenseman before the disaster year in Buffalo. Ideally the Caps will aim higher for a Carlson replacement, but it seemed like a decent gamble that would've left plenty of assets to invest up front instead.

Interesting stuff.

I feel like Liljegren is already our gamble among RDs. We need a more stable option that can play top 4.

 

[Corby78]

If I’m Vegas, why would I want to pay Cassidy to coach a rival like Edmonton next year? They’ll pay him like $1 and the Knights will pay the rest. No thanks. If I’m paying you, you’re not going to be coaching against me while I honor our contract.

You could easily let him talk with other teams with the restriction that if another teams wants to hire him, Cassidy has to waive the rest of the contract, or the other teams wants buys it from LV. It can be done

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

You could easily let him talk with other teams with the restriction that if another teams wants to hire him, Cassidy has to waive the rest of the contract, or the other teams wants buys it from LV. It can be done

Sure but he’s in no way giving up his guaranteed money….

 

[Corby78]

Sure but he’s in no way giving up his guaranteed money….

Unless it would be to get more guaranteed money..

 

[Threetrees]

Don’t understand why people are mad at Vegas for preventing Cassidy from going to their biggest rival. Especially when one more year of nonsense in Edmonton means that McDavid will leave their division. It is common sense. Any team that is serious about winning would do the same.

Contract wasn’t forced on Cassidy. He has no one to blame but himself and his agent.

 

[Dr John Carlson]

The difference between 20th and 27th is fairly small. Smart gamble by San Jose and a free tradeup for Buffalo if he wasn't in their plans.

 

[qcal1427]

Vegas are being dicks for the most marginal of marginal gains

They thought Cassidy wasn’t good enough to coach them, if they’re worried about him going to the oilers then it seems to me they think they’ve assembled a worse roster than Edmonton. If that’s the case you have more to worry about than where a guy you fired gets his next job

 

[stephenball]

Well, Vegas knows very well that Cassidy is a great coach, it just wasn’t that way with them anymore, it happens sometimes. If I was Vegas I wouldn’t want him to go to Edmonton either. Of course I’m not as shameless as Vegas is either haha.

 

[DWGie26]

Interesting stuff.

I feel like Liljegren is already our gamble among RDs. We need a more stable option that can play top 4.

Hopefully this is indicative of GMCP having a plan. A young, big two-way defenseman for that kind of trade seems like high value in risk-reward. So if not Kesslring then hopefully a more veteran, grisly, defenseman plan awaits.

 

[Marshall]

I'm firmly in the Vegas camp. They haven't done anything wrong.

Cassidy isn't trapped - he's being paid $4.5 million. I imgine he's getting a lot of golf in - while under contract.

Edmonton? They're the clowns in this show. And it's hilarious.

 

[Kazer]

I'm firmly in the Vegas camp. They haven't done anything wrong.

Cassidy isn't trapped - he's being paid $4.5 million. I imgine he's getting a lot of golf in - while under contract.

Edmonton? They're the clowns in this show. And it's hilarious.

I disagree strongly. He was hired to be their head coach and fired as head coach. He should have to forfeit his Vegas salary if he lands another job out of fairness to Vegas, but I don't think Vegas should have any say whatsoever regarding his pursuit of other jobs.

If they wanted him to be their HC, they should have not fired him, and I'm stunned that the NHL Coaches' Association isn't making a bigger deal about this.

 

[kicksavedave]

I disagree strongly. He was hired to be their head coach and fired as head coach. He should have to forfeit his Vegas salary if he lands another job out of fairness to Vegas, but I don't think Vegas should have any say whatsoever regarding his pursuit of other jobs.

If they wanted him to be their HC, they should have not fired him, and I'm stunned that the NHL Coaches' Association isn't making a bigger deal about this.

Agreed here. Players can go anywhere after they get cut, but not coaches? I get they are still getting paid, but they shouldn't. You get fired, you lose your salary but you can go work anywhere, like the rest of the world does it. You quit, its different. No salary of course, but also no freedom to just go work elsewhere. Just my $.02 on how it should work.

 

[Marshall]

He is still under contract to VGK.

That's all that needs to be said.

Vegas legally has every right to keep him on board without letting him talk to anybody. They're being nice and letting him talk to other teams.

All Bruce has to do to be able to talk to any other team he wants to, is give up the contract.

As long as Cassidy is under contract, Vegas has 100% right to tell him where he can and cannot go.

If it was the Caps and not VGK, everybody would have a different tune.

And the coaches association isn't raising a stink about it because they know they have no case.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Unless it would be to get more guaranteed money..

He can get that without giving up his money, just has to sit a year.

 

[Kalopsia]

He is still under contract to VGK.

That's all that needs to be said.

Vegas legally has every right to keep him on board without letting him talk to anybody. They're being nice and letting him talk to other teams.

All Bruce has to do to be able to talk to any other team he wants to, is give up the contract.

As long as Cassidy is under contract, Vegas has 100% right to tell him where he can and cannot go.

If it was the Caps and not VGK, everybody would have a different tune.

And the coaches association isn't raising a stink about it because they know they have no case.

It has to be mutual, Vegas would have to agree to mutually terminate the contract. That's what Vegas is refusing to do. The Caps could've done the same thing with Trotz when the automatic extension for winning the Cup kicked in and he wanted to negotiate a new deal instead. They would've been well within their rights to make him sit out a year instead of releasing him to go coach a division rival, but they did him a solid cause he'd just won a Cup.

 

[Ovechkins Wodka]

 

[Threetrees]

Agreed here. Players can go anywhere after they get cut, but not coaches? I get they are still getting paid, but they shouldn't. You get fired, you lose your salary but you can go work anywhere, like the rest of the world does it. You quit, its different. No salary of course, but also no freedom to just go work elsewhere. Just my $.02 on how it should work.

Coaches are allowed to go anywhere they want. They just have to put language to that affect in their contract. It is really that simple. Contracts are the basis of the entire legal system. Cassidy and his agent screwed themselves. Vegas has no obligation to let Cassidy out of the contract that he willingly signed. Vegas wants McDavid to leave the division. They are one year away. Letting Cassidy go to Edmonton would be a fireable offense.

 

[nogatco rd]

Popcorn.gif

I wonder what the 2nd investigation was about

And i wonder what the 3rd and 4th will be this time next year

 

[Marshall]

The Trotz situation isn't relevant - he wasn't fired.

"It has to be mutual, Vegas would have to agree to mutually terminate the contract. That's what Vegas is refusing to do. "

Honestly, I'm not sure what this means. Are you saying that Cassidy agreed to terminate his contract to go to another team, and VGK didn't let him? VGK would love to be rid of his salary. If there's any indication that Cassidy has agreed to terminate his current contract, I'd need to see a source. Because Vegas would love that and there wouldn't be any discussion around it. Cassidy would be free.

Edmonton tried to force VGK to allow Cassidy to speak to EDM via the press.

Vegas, rightfully, said "Yeah, no. You're not in charge here." and shut Edmonton down. Edmonton's the problem here. And they're the only team Vegas has said no to.

Again if it was a Caps' coach in this situation, everybody here would be ragging on Edmonoton, too.

This is not an emotional issue - it's a business one. Fairness has nothing to do with it - it's about what Cassidy negotiated.