The Vegas Knights announced on Wednesday that Ryan Craig will be their new head coach after John Tortorella’s departure.
Craig was immediately signed by Kelly McCrimmon after informing Tortorella that he would not be returning, concluding a coaching search that lasted fewer than a full offseason.
Regardless of how quickly coaching carousels turn in the NHL, that is a bizarre circumstance. Before training camp, you move on after changing your mind and hiring a man. The fit wasn’t right, McCrimmon plainly came to the conclusion.
The Knights placed first in their division last season with 95 points and a 39-26-17 record. This was not a refurbishment project seeking a change of culture.
In 74 games, Jack Eichel scored 90 points. Mitch Marner contributed 80 points in 81 games. Even though Mark Stone only played in 60 games, he still managed to score 73 points.
Inheriting a Vegas roster constructed to win now is the responsibility of Ryan Craig.
That’s a top-six that can lead a team far into the playoffs. He needs to manage egos, deployment, and confidence, not create a new system from scratch.
Craig enters a room that has Eichel at $10 million, Marner at $12 million, and Stone at $9.5 million. That is a significant investment at the star level, and it requires quick results.
Last season, Pavel Dorofeyev was the team’s most resilient forward, appearing in all 82 games and scoring 37 goals. He might be the finest value contract on the roster at $1,835,000.
The goaltending situation is still uncertain. Over 22 starts, Carter Hart recorded a save percentage of 0.907. In 34 games, Akira Schmid scored .893. Neither number screams starter.
Nick Kypreos said on Sportsnet Central just yesterday that he didn’t see Tortorella behind an NHL bench as early as October.
Nick Kypreos: I don’t see John Tortorella coming back as early as October as an NHL head coach; maybe throw his name out there March or April if teams get itchy, I think that’s more realistic.
Whether Craig was McCrimmon’s first choice all along, or whether this was a pivot after the Tortorella situation quietly fell apart, nobody on the Vegas side is saying.
The real question now is whether a roster this talented, with this much continuity, can actually get out of its own way and make another serious run come spring.
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