Oilers, Tortorella, and an Interesting Rumor That “Hasn’t Gone Away”

The Stanley Cup has been awarded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and for the Vegas Golden Knights, it was a solid run on the heels of a controversial coaching change that helped get them to the Finals. Now that they’re eliminated, questions will surface about their plans. Is John Tortorella going to be re-signed as coach? Was this a one-and-done, with the two sides only agreeing to a few weeks and then moving on? If so, where do the Golden Knights and Torts go from here? Finally, where does this leave the Edmonton Oilers?

According to Jason Gregor and a few others, much of this may have already been decided.

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Gregor notes:

“The one interesting rumour that hasn’t gone away is that Vegas will promote Ryan Craig from Henderson to Vegas as their head coach next year. Tortorella was only signed to the end of this season. Seems crazy that he might not return, but Vegas has always done it their way.”

In other words, the move to bring in Tortorella was never meant to be permanent. Craig is set to be promoted from the AHL, and Torts will be done as of June 30th, and will be able to sign wherever he’d like. If he wants, he can walk off into retirement. If he wants, he can interview with Edmonton.

What Does That Mean for the Oilers?

Given how much talk there is about the Edmonton Oilers and their coaching search, this could be big news. Currently, the Oilers are seeking approval to hire Mike Babcock. If the NHL’s active investigation into Babcock’s conduct goes sideways, the Oilers could pivot back to Vegas, where they had previously tried to interview Bruce Cassidy. Tortorella is a similar style coach to both Babcock and Cassidy, and he’ll be the only available coach of the three.

Would Edmonton hire Tortorella if there’s no extension waiting for him in Vegas? Would he want the Oilers job, or is he done? Does it matter if Babcock is given the green light and the Oilers’ leadership group has identified him as ‘their guy’? We dont’ know the answers to any of these questions yet, but we might find out soon enough.

It’s a lot of digest, and there are several ways this could play out. Either Babcock gets the go-ahead or June 30th rolls around, and Tortorella has a conversation with the Oilers. Until one of those two things happens, this rumor won’t go away.

Next: Good News For the Oilers and the Mike Babcock Investigation?