Nick Kypreos provides update on John Tortorella's return behind an NHL bench
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
John Tortorella wants to coach again. But according to Nick Kypreos, October is not when that happens.
Kypreos went on Sportsnet Central and made it clear the timeline for a Tortorella return is not the start of next season.
The expectation, Kypreos said, is somewhere around March or April - when a team gets itchy mid-season and needs an experienced hand in a hurry.
"I don't see John Tortorella coming back as early as October as an NHL head coach; maybe throw his name out there March or April if teams get itchy, I think that's more realistic."
- Nick Kypreos
- Nick Kypreos
That framing gets dismissed as a negative. It is not.
Tortorella just spent three months turning the Vegas Golden Knights from a franchise in freefall into a Stanley Cup finalist.
He was hired March 29 after the shocking dismissal of Bruce Cassidy, took over a veteran roster with eight games left in the regular season, and went 7-0-1 before winning three playoff rounds.
Vegas fell to Carolina in six games in the Cup Final.
That is not an audition for a summer rebuild. That is a blueprint for what Tortorella does best.
His market has always been distress calls
Tortorella's track record as a summer hire is genuinely mixed. His full-season tenures in Vancouver, Columbus, and Philadelphia produced playoff appearances but no deep runs.
His track record as an emergency fix is now excellent.
The Kypreos timeline is not a downgrade for Tortorella. It is an honest read on where he delivers maximum value to a franchise.
The teams that need to pay attention
The Edmonton Oilers currently have no head coach, which keeps them in play for October if Mike Babcock isn't hired.
But any veteran contender that hits a wall in February with a fractured room and fading confidence should have Tortorella's number already saved.
He is not arriving to build something. He is arriving to reset rooms that have lost their way quickly.
Vegas proved that works. At 68, Tortorella has never been a better fit for the exact moment hockey needs him.
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