Look, I know that the Golden Knights are 7-4-4 entering Thursday's game against the New York Islanders. The boys are injured, wounded, hurting, whatever you want to call it.
I also know that Bruce Cassidy has quite the reputation for, well, being a hot head. That might not deter guys like Mitch Marner from heading to Las Vegas. Still, he's known for rubbing certain guys the wrong way.
However, it could be worse. Much worse.
The Toronto Maple Leafs media is suddenly calling for head coach Craig Berube's head. An 8-8-1 record with 17 points has the Maple Leafs near the bottom of the Atlantic Division with the Buffalo Sabres. That's not even mentioning that they just lost Auston Matthews to a lower-body injury. Don't forget about the 2023 Stanley Cup that Cassidy won. That's also important.
All of this culminates in a situation that's more beneficial for Marner to stick around with Vegas than his boyhood team. Fans can't forget that Marner's on his way to becoming one of the first 100-point players in Golden Knights history. As of Thursday, he has 19 points (four goals and 15 assists) and is on pace for 104 points (22 goals and 82 assists). Imagine the chaos that would ensue if he broke the franchise mark.
For Vegas Golden Knights star Mitch Marner, it's much better in Las Vegas when looking at the Toronto Maple Leafs and Craig Berube
As mentioned, Bruce Cassidy is well-known for having a hot temper. At one point, he was voted as one of the least desirable head coaches to play for in the NHL. But you must admit one thing about the former Bruins head coach: he wins.
In fact, he's the winningest head coach in Golden Knights history. Cassidy boasts a record of 261-153-77 (.646 winning percentage), getting 337 points in the process. He also carries a playoff record of 24-16, making him the most successful Stanley Cup playoff head coach in franchise history.
While Berube doesn't have the tenure that Cassidy has, it's already looking like his Toronto stay is collapsing like the Blue Jays. A playoff record of 7-6 and a winning percentage of .631 pales in comparison to the Golden Knights' bench boss, making Marner's decision a no-brainer.
Golden Knights fans are even seeing the Mitch Marner effect with their top star, Jack Eichel
Heck, you can even see how Jack Eichel is doing compared to Auston Matthews and see that the Marner effect is alive and kickin' (stats courtesy of MoneyPuck).
Player | Goals | Assists | Corsi | Fenwick | Primary Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jack Eichel | 8 | 14 | 55% | 57% | 4 |
Auston Matthews | 9 | 5 | 51% | 53% | 2 |
While Matthews has become an independent goal-scorer, injuries and the absence of your main facilitator hurt you in many ways. Sure, Eichel hasn't gotten as many opportunities with Marner as Matthews has. One can point to Cassidy's endless lineup shuffles and familiarity with Berube's system as perfect examples. However, Cassidy also has something that the Maple Leafs head coach doesn't: a winning culture.
That's partially why Marner left Berube's Maple Leafs to join Cassidy's Golden Knights. When you can leave a hawkish media that's starved for a Stanley Cup like Homer Simpson on a hunger strike, you'll take that chance.
With Marner, he's already having a positive effect on the top units for Vegas. Pavel Dorofeyev has 10 goals this season, with six coming on the power play. Eichel's trending towards 44 goals and a 100-point season himself.
Sometimes, the grass is indeed greener on the other side. That's especially true if you're looking to win a Stanley Cup and get past the second round. Luckily, Cassidy knows a thing or two about that. You can't say the same thing about Craig Berube right now.