When you look at the Vegas Golden Knights' 2026 Stanley Cup Final run, you might not think that Vegas needs to do much else. They've watched Mitch Marner explode on the playoff scene and seen Carter Hart stay upright until the Stanley Cup Final. But head coach Ryan Craig has a different take on the upcoming 2026-27 season.
The former Henderson Silver Knights talked to the media on Tuesday about the team's goal for the season. He kept the answer short and simple, yet he also threw the Golden Knights faithful a curveball, per Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com.
"We're starting over."Ryan Craig to NHL.com
He also added that this Golden Knights team is vastly different from the Stanley Cup Final team. Of course, there are your usual tropes of being a stronger group through adversity, along with getting your work accomplished. But those three words carry a bigger weight.
Why, you ask? Well, one would think that the Golden Knights didn't need to do much after making the Stanley Cup Final. You were two games away from taking home No. 2 and rode a tidal wave of momentum from John Tortorella... until he beat said momentum to death.
But there's a deeper meaning behind "starting over." No, it's not rebuilding. But you want to be better than the day before. Isn't that the main goal in life? Anyway, let's explore that meaning and see what it means to truly "start over" as the Golden Knights.
What does "starting over" mean for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2026-27?
Digging past the Stanley Cup Final appearance, you'll see that the Vegas Golden Knights weren't exactly their best selves in 2025-26. They finished with fewer wins than losses for the first time in franchise history and relieved their head coach of their duties. So long, Bruce Cassidy, we hardly knew ye.
In short, the season was far sloppier than people want to admit. It was a season marred by inconsistent goaltending and a team that was checked out on its head coach. Vegas wasn't expected to do much in the Stanley Cup playoffs, let alone, win the Pacific Division.
But it was by the good grace of our lord, Marc-Andre Fleury, that it happened. Still, the team must do some things differently in this upcoming season, starting with finding a bona fide shooter. With Pavel Dorofeyev gone, who takes on the mantle of being the go-to goal-scorer?
Also, how will certain players respond to the disastrous Stanley Cup Final? Fans will look at Jack Eichel and Rasmus Andersson and point fingers at these players. After all, scoring two goals during the Stanley Cup playoffs isn't cutting the mustard. Therefore, the 2026-27 season should be one where the team resets.
Regardless, the Golden Knights need a better regular season than 2025-26. The Pacific Division is expected to have better teams, ranging from the San Jose Sharks to the Anaheim Ducks. It's time to lock in and make "starting over" worth it for Vegas. Otherwise, you're falling behind in the dust.
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