John Tortorella nearly won the Cup, and Vegas might move on from him anyway. A persistent rumor has the Golden Knights eyeing Ryan Craig instead.
Jason Gregor flagged it as the one rumor that won't go away. Vegas could promote Craig from Henderson to be its head coach next season.
The opening is real. Tortorella was signed only through this season, and his own future has been an open question since the Final ended.
Gregor put it plainly. It seems crazy that a coach who came this close might not return, but Vegas has always done things its own way.
So both sides are uncommitted. Tortorella needs to digest the loss, and the franchise may already have a different plan.
Gregor's report keeps the rumor alive at exactly the moment it matters most.
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An internal promotion would be classic Vegas
Here's who Craig is. He coaches the Henderson Silver Knights, Vegas's AHL affiliate, which makes him the in-house promotion candidate.
The logic for that kind of move is straightforward. Continuity with the organization's system, familiarity with its prospects, and a cheaper price than a big-name hire.
It also fits the franchise's DNA. Vegas has never been shy about bold, unconventional calls, and Kelly McCrimmon's front office likes to operate on its own terms.
Remember, "their way" has worked before. This is the organization that built a contender from an expansion roster and won a Cup in 2023 doing things differently.
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Here's my read: moving on from a coach who just reached the Stanley Cup Final would be stunning almost anywhere else. Tortorella took a sliding team in late March and nearly authored a miracle.
But Vegas isn't almost anywhere else. Swapping a proven near-winner for an unproven NHL coach would be a real gamble, even for a franchise that loves them.
The smarter bet might be running it back with the guy who got you there. Then again, this organization rarely does the obvious thing.
So Tortorella's future and the Craig rumor are now two sides of the same question. Vegas has a coaching decision looming, and it could break in a direction nobody outside the building expects.
Should Vegas promote Ryan Craig or bring Tortorella back?
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