John Tortorella hasn't even coached two games with the Vegas Golden Knights and he already has some ambitious plans with the team. After Bruce Cassidy was let go from the team's operations on Sunday, the new bench boss is already talking about what he plans to do with one of his biggest names around.
No, get your mind out of the gutter. If you're thinking that, you need some help. However, this stems more from Mitch Marner's position in the lineup and where Tortorella will place him.
Tortorella says he's planning on moving Mitch Marner around a lot in the lineup. Says he has a lot of different ideas in his mind including loading up a top line with Eichel, Stone, and Marner. But we'll see him in many different places over the next seven games.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) April 1, 2026
Imagine a top line with Marner, Mark Stone, and Jack Eichel. That would do so much damage to other teams that it would disrupt the league. Imagine all the families that this line would feed in Las Vegas alone!
But in all seriousness, this isn't the first time that Marner's been shuffled around the Golden Knights' lineup. Many people (myself included) expected him to be a mainstay with the top line upon arriving in Las Vegas. However, he's done his best work with Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev this season, unleashing two goal scorers upon the unfortunate masses. That alone shouldn't surprise anyone regarding Tortorella's intentions with Marner.
Why fans should expect more of the same (and then some) with John Tortorella playing around with Mitch Marner's spot in the lineup
Let's be honest for a second. 2025-26 has been an unorthodox season for Mitch Marner. The Vegas Golden Knights forward has had a cavalcade of linemates with him, whether that was with Eichel, Dorofeyev, or even Brett Howden.
Here's the thing about John Tortorella's quote. That basically affirms more of the same with how Marner will be handled. It'll be a grand experiment to see what will work and what won't. So far, Marner's done well for himself, generating 20 goals and 51 assists.
But here's the other thing. This shows a similar style to that of the new Golden Knights head coach as compared to his predecessor, Bruce Cassidy. Cassidy wasn't one to shy away from mixing up things within the lineup. That meant putting guys like Howden on the top unit, giving them reps with Eichel.
That will be no different for Tortorella as he navigates the remainder of the 2025-26 season. How he'll handle Marner's spot in the lineup will be the big test. However, one thing's for certain: Tortorella will have plenty of fun creating his own lineup with the Canadian Olympian.