Vegas Golden Knights

[Winger98]

Something else that I think has to be mentioned with Vegas - the West isn't as good as it was just a few years ago. They don't have to go through Chicago. Or LA when they were good. Or SJ when they were at least a lot better. Winny is a really good team, but they might have less playoff experience on their club than Vegas does right now. Vegas went out, got a number of really good players they could lean on, got a good coach, and have taken advantage of an advantageous power vacuum in the west.

Is their success going to be sustainable next season? I doubt it, especially if they lose Neal and Perron. But that division they are in has to get a little better, too. If it doesn't, a decent team with a good coach could probably push for the playoffs again next year.

 

[lilidk]

Nosek wasn't good enough for Red Wings

 

[Claypool]

SIs their success going to be sustainable next season? I doubt it, especially if they lose Neal and Perron.

Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith is still one of the best lines in hockey. They'll still have Fleury, who will play over 60 games if healthy. The defense will largely stay the same. No reason to think Vegas won't be in the mix again next season. Best home ice advantage in the league. They'll have plenty of cap space to make a splash and sign Tavares and/or trade for Erik Karlsson.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith is still one of the best lines in hockey. They'll still have Fleury, who will play over 60 games if healthy. The defense will largely stay the same. No reason to think Vegas won't be in the mix again next season. Best home ice advantage in the league. They'll have plenty of cap space to make a splash and sign Tavares and/or trade for Erik Karlsson.

You think all those players will play just as well as they did this season? Particularly Karlsson and Fleury?

 

[Ezekial]

Vegas won't be have the same compete level next year, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Claypool]

You think all those players will play just as well as they did this season? Particularly Karlsson and Fleury?

Yes.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Yes.

Based on what?

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Based on what?

His totally sustainable 23.4% shooting percentage?

 

[Claypool]

Based on what?

Watching them play.

 

[Flowah]

Vegas is due for a downfall.

If only because almost half their roster is not under contract for next season. Even more within the next 2 years. Some of them are going to get raises and that is going to force them to make the kinds of decisions other teams have all had to make.

Won't be easy to keep the band together.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Watching them play.

So substantive.

 

[njx9]

Vegas is due for a downfall.

If only because almost half their roster is not under contract for next season. Even more within the next 2 years. Some of them are going to get raises and that is going to force them to make the kinds of decisions other teams have all had to make.

Won't be easy to keep the band together.

They have like, $24m for about 11 players, 5 of whom are RFAs. Some of those aren't hard decisions (Stoner) and I don't think many guys are getting crazy raises. I'm not even sure if that accounts for Clarkson on LTIR. I don't think cap is really the major issue for this team, as much as Karlsson's and Haula's shooting percentages.

 

[Henkka]

This would go under the 80M cap.

Haula 2.75M --- Tavares 9.0M --- Neal 7.0M
Smith 5.0M --- W.Karlsson 7.0M --- Marchessault 5.0M
Tatar 5.3M --- Eakin 3.85M --- Tuch 925k
Lindberg 1.7M --- Bellemare --- Nosek 900k
Carrier 800k, Carpenter 650k

David Clarkson 5.25M - LTIR
Derrick Brassard 2.0M - salary retention

Grabovski UFA - let walk
Perron UFA - let walk
Reaves UFA - let walk

Trade for Erik Karlsson.

McNabb 1.7M --- E.Karlsson 6.5M
Schmidt 2.225M - Engelland 1.5M
Theodore 3.0M --- Miller 3.0M
Merrill 1.375M

Sbisa UFA - let walk
Stoner UFA - let walk
Garrison UFA - let walk

Fleury 5.75M
Subban 650k

Bolded contracts are estimations. Others are already existing contracts.

I'm not gonna say all those pipe dreams will happen, but they have cap space for those pipe dreams. Lots of cheap contracts.

 

[Claypool]

So substantive.

What are you basing your "downfall" on? Just a hunch?

 

[lilidk]

Vegas is due for a downfall.

If only because almost half their roster is not under contract for next season. Even more within the next 2 years. Some of them are going to get raises and that is going to force them to make the kinds of decisions other teams have all had to make.

Won't be easy to keep the band together.

probably 3 years from now

 

[ArGarBarGar]

What are you basing your "downfall" on? Just a hunch?

Why can't you expand on your initial assertion? I don't think what I asked was all that unfair.

 

[Claypool]

Why can't you expand on your initial assertion? I don't think what I asked was all that unfair.

What's there to expand on? The team is one win away from the Cup finals. Fleury is a great goalie. Their top line is awesome. They have depth at every position. A ton a cap space this summer.

They'll be a top team in their division next season. Ok, you're turn.

 

[Red Stanley]

What's there to expand on? The team is one win away from the Cup finals. Fleury is a great goalie. Their top line is awesome. They have depth at every position. A ton a cap space this summer.

They'll be a top team in their division next season. Ok, you're turn.

Their division as a whole seems to be getting worse, so that's not a far-fetched assumption.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

What's there to expand on? The team is one win away from the Cup finals. Fleury is a great goalie. Their top line is awesome. They have depth at every position. A ton a cap space this summer.

They'll be a top team in their division next season. Ok, you're turn.

Nobody is saying they aren't doing great right now. I am talking about the players who are playing some of their best hockey this year being able to do it again next season. What about them has led you to believe this is now the norm and not an anomaly?

You aren't addressing the issue I am having with your original premise.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Nobody is saying they aren't doing great right now. I am talking about the players who are playing some of their best hockey this year being able to do it again next season. What about them has led you to believe this is now the norm and not an anomaly?

You aren't addressing the issue I am having with your original premise.

This was sort of the logic on Marchessault when he came from Florida. Karlsson isn't going to have the same exact season because of shooting percentage, but a highly thought of player that was given mostly defensive assignments in Columbus is entrusted with a massive role and takes a step forward. Yes Perron and Neal were in roles they were before but a ton of guys on this team were highly thought of guys that were entrusted with bigger responsibilities and responded. Schmidt, Colin Miller and Theodore are all guys plenty of people believed in playing significantly different roles than what they were previously given and they responded.

Is everything going to be letter perfect probably not. But they have a stable of young guys that took the challenge they were given and thrived with it. Also keep in mind they have three first round picks from their first draft that should arrive over the next couple years. I think Vegas will take a step back, but these guys are believable in terms of they are pretty good hockey players and you have to believe Glass, Suzuki, Branstrom on the way. It's not impossible that they are pretty good for a stretch. They focused on young fast players that fit their system and it has worked. They aren't changing systems and these guys are still young and fast would be the argument...

 

[Bondurant]

"Vegas won't keep winning."

"Vegas will drop off midseason."

"Vegas won't make the playoffs."

"Vegas won't win a round."

"Vegas will suck next year."

Feels like the excuse train will roll no matter what happens. Vegas could be great for a decade and then drop off and it would be "told you so" from some people.

 

[chances14]

it's too bad hockey is so niche with the media because this team isn't getting nearly the storylines they should be. This is by far the biggest Cinderella sports story in north american pro sports history imo

i've given up predicting when this team will fail. But 13 players on this team had career years in points. I just can't see all those guys sustaining that kind of success next year.

 

[WingsOverAvs]

So assuming VGK makes a play for Karlsson (and I think they will), what will be the return? I see some talk of last years 1st round picks as well as contracts for FA's in the offseason, but no mention of how much of that will be left after that sort of trade

 

[PelagicJoe]

I will say that I underestimated an alumnus of ours. I wonder what things would be like if Gallant were our coach instead of Blash.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

This was sort of the logic on Marchessault when he came from Florida. Karlsson isn't going to have the same exact season because of shooting percentage, but a highly thought of player that was given mostly defensive assignments in Columbus is entrusted with a massive role and takes a step forward. Yes Perron and Neal were in roles they were before but a ton of guys on this team were highly thought of guys that were entrusted with bigger responsibilities and responded. Schmidt, Colin Miller and Theodore are all guys plenty of people believed in playing significantly different roles than what they were previously given and they responded.

Is everything going to be letter perfect probably not. But they have a stable of young guys that took the challenge they were given and thrived with it. Also keep in mind they have three first round picks from their first draft that should arrive over the next couple years. I think Vegas will take a step back, but these guys are believable in terms of they are pretty good hockey players and you have to believe Glass, Suzuki, Branstrom on the way. It's not impossible that they are pretty good for a stretch. They focused on young fast players that fit their system and it has worked. They aren't changing systems and these guys are still young and fast would be the argument...

Right. I do not think the Knights will suddenly become a lottery team. The coaching is incredible and there are players on the team with legit talent.

But I do think the safer bet is their play will drop to some degree.