The Vegas Golden Knights were hoping that Bruce Cassidy would go to the Toronto Maple Leafs and stay away from their division rivals. That way, they wouldn't have to worry about the Stanley Cup-winning head coach leading the Edmonton Oilers or the Los Angeles Kings. Mark one team off that list because the Toronto Maple Leafs have found their man.
That would be none other than Jim Hiller, the ex-Kings head coach who led Los Angeles to two straight first-round eliminations against the Edmonton Oilers. Yep, that same Hiller who couldn't get past Connor McDavid and company.
Jim Hiller has been named the 41st Head Coach in franchise history!
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 17, 2026
Judging by Steve Dangle's confused look on his face in the thumbnail, it seems like the ultimate head-scratcher. The uber-Maple Leafs fan looked like someone had exposed their goodies to him by opening up their jackets. In fact, numerous Maple Leafs pundits are calling the move underwhelming.
So you're probably wondering how that complicates the Bruce Cassidy situation, despite the Golden Knights allowing him to interview with one team. Well, that still leaves the door open for Cassidy to go to at least one divisional rival. Who, you might ask?
Why the Vegas Golden Knights might not like the latest Toronto Maple Leafs news surrounding Jim Hiller (at least with Bruce Cassidy being concerned)
Look, the Hiller hire will likely be another bust in the long line of failures within the Maple Leafs' organization. Just look at what happened with head coaches like Mike Babcock and Craig Berube. Tell me how that worked out for Toronto, especially when compared to Vegas's recent Stanley Cup Final run?
But there's a bigger problem that looms large for the Golden Knights. The Oilers, despite looking at John Tortorella and wanting, still don't have a head coach. Sure, the Kings have their guy in Peter Laviolette. But you're not worried about the Kings as much as you are about the Oilers.
What if they suddenly back off on Babcock, who has a complicated history as a head coach? What if Edmonton suddenly goes after Cassidy after Vegas finally makes him available? While that's just a small worry, it's still a worry.
Edmonton has been fortunate enough to not have a head coach and wait out the process. Now? They could reopen that discussion and move towards bringing in Cassidy to please their megastars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
The case for Golden Knights fans not worrying too much about the Maple Leafs' latest hire
Again, the possibility of the Oilers going after Cassidy is currently smaller than expected. They're looking at Babcock, who's looking at his other players' cell phones to make sure that they're locked in. With Edmonton in advanced stages to bring him aboard, that will lessen the blow.
Therefore, this should be a short-term sting for the Golden Knights, if anything is felt at all. The Golden Knights are more worried about keeping the Stanley Cup window open with their latest hire. As for Edmonton? Well, they're looking to make its environment more uncomfortable for McDavid so he can join Hiller in Toronto.
Maybe this will be forgotten over time and the status quo will be the status quo. Furthermore, Cassidy's lack of a job could carry over to next season if Edmonton hires Babcock or someone else, barring a surprise firing. Whatever the case, it leaves Golden Knights fans wondering if they should worry about a little possibility of something happening. Maybe not. Who knows.
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