What even is Vegas?

[Pez68]

One thing I haven't seen anyone mention here. The age of the players. It's almost uncanny. The large majority of their starting lineup is age 25-27(seriously, like 90%) . So all men right in their physical primes. Along with almost their entire team being in their physical primes, they have like 1 guy on the entire team under 6' and 190 lbs.... Most of those guys are pretty much the perfect size for a hockey player. 6'-6'2" and 190-210 lbs... It's like they were all cut from the same mold. Then you circle back around to the age factor again, and realize that the large majority of their team has 5-7 years of PROFESSIONAL experience, playing against men....

I think this is a huge factor in their success. A roster full of young men in their prime, with a ton of professional experience, sometimes with multiple organizations, who are physically built to play hockey pretty much any way that they want... Strong enough to play a physical game with anyone. Fast enough to play a skating game with anyone. Skilled enough to make the best of their chances. Experienced enough to have high hockey IQs and play together as a team.... Add a fantastic coach and....presto! You have a really, really good hockey team.

 

[mr figgles]

They made the most of their decisions when assembling the team. I keep seeing that the expansion draft was favorable to them, but it’s not like it was unfavorable to the rest of the league. They drafted a collection of bottom 3 dmen, bottom 6 forwards, and cap dumps. Did any team lose anything at the time that they were going to miss? Those cap dumps were still good players. Some of these guys are getting an opportunity they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise, and they’re running with it.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

Still think it's funny that people believe this team had a favorable expansion draft when their top two centres are William Karlsson and Erik Haula

 

[CanadienShark]

The Kings are a horrible team and not playoff calibre. That said, what the Knights have done is nothing short of spectacular. I won't take anything away from them. Everything imaginable has fallen into place for these guys. All the props to them. They were "rejects" of sorts, but came in and put on a show for the ages.

 

[ANDI P IS CUTE]

if the leafs worked as hard as vegas theyd win back to back to back cups.

 

[Soliloquy of a Dogge]

Two words.

Artificial parity.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

Has anyone mentioned that it's #rigged yet?

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Makes you wonder what Karlsson would've cost to aquire before the expansion draft.

Around a late 2nd?

 

[Seanaconda]

Makes you wonder what Karlsson would've cost to aquire before the expansion draft.

Around a late 2nd?

He had a roster spot so probably another forth liner and

 

[Pi]

I think San Jose and Nashville can take Vegas out.

I'd put Jets above Vegas based on their play. Nashville hasn't looked great. I think Vegas can beat the Sharks.

There is a very real chance of Vegas making it to the WCF and beyond.

 

[CupInSIX]

One small factor is that I can't say for certain whether there's one player that didn't previously know another. It's not even obvious connections like Marchessault & Smith know the coach or MAF played with Neal, Engelland and Perron.

-Alex Tuch played with Haula obviously but he also was at camp with former AHL teammate Pulkkinen and they played in the AHL again this year. Haula roomed with Schmidt at the University of Minnesota.

-When Subban was claimed off waivers he obviously knew Miller but he also knows Smith. Miller knows McNabb from being an LA prospect.

-Theodore knows Karlsson from the Ducks and I believe Stoner came to camp for the first week.

There's probably several more coincidences that you'll hear Pierre McGuire go on about until you want to vomit.