One good season can do wonders for a head coach. One minute, you're swimming in mediocrity and you're heading towards the Calder Cup playoffs the next. Such is the case for Ryan Craig, who has seen a meteoric rise in 2025-26.
The Silver Knights are in fifth place in the Pacific Division with 79 points and can't stop winning. In fact, they're 8-1-1-0 in their last 10 games, making them an absolute unstoppable force. Who knows how far they'll climb and how far they'll go?
But that puts the spotlight on Craig as the potential suitor to the Golden Knights throne. The head coach has garnered some respect from the community, putting his services in the spotlight. I mean, this is a historically meager hockey franchise that we're talking about here. They finished last in the Pacific Division last season, you know.
And that's the theme of this post. The lingering problem with bringing an AHL head coach on board stems from having one good season and nothing more. However, there's an anecdotal side to things that must be heard. The circumstances might be different. But the message is still the same.
A harsh lesson in replacing a Stanley Cup-winning head coach with an unproven commodity
Now, this upcoming story can apply to both Bruce Cassidy and John Tortorella. Both head coaches are decorated Stanley Cup winners who've carved a name for themselves in the NHL. But here's the story for why the Golden Knights shouldn't hire Ryan Craig.
In 2001-02, the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. The team boasted so many Hall of Famers that it would make the average person's head spin. Scottie Bowman rides off into the sunset and is replaced by... Dave Lewis.
Now, Lewis wasn't necessarily bad. He led Detroit to a President's Trophy and had two 48-win seasons. However, the playoffs were a different story. He held a record of 6-10 before his contract expired and his job description changed to being a scout.
In fact, he had another coaching season with the Boston Bruins, finishing last in the Northeast Division in 2006-07. Overall, he had a forgettable coaching career and was replaced by Mike Babcock, who... won a Stanley Cup.
The Lewis story is a cautionary tale of why the Golden Knights must be careful with Ryan Craig
Let's be honest for a second. The Silver Knights have been successful because they've seen an influx of solid prospects. We're talking about Carl Lindbom and Braeden Bowman making this a great campaign for the AHL club.
Of course, some of that can be attributed to Craig as a coach. He's done good work in using the pieces he has, creating a massive turnaround that has surprised everyone in Las Vegas. But the bigger question is how responsible is he for the team's success?
That's the thing with hiring him as the next Golden Knights head coach. The NHL game is much faster than the AHL, which can be extremely frustrating for someone at the minor league level. That's not even mentioning how you're filling the massive shoes of not just Cassidy, but Tortorella, as well.