Golden Knights
Golden Knights
Vegas Golden Knights
NHL – PACIFIC
Arena: T-Mobile
Coach: Peter DeBoer
2022-2023 TEAM LEADERS
Vegas Golden Knights
Team Summary
The Vegas Golden Knights are an NHL team playing in the Pacific Division based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The team was the first expansion team to enter the league since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild in 2003. Vegas set history with their inaugural season as the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals and win a game as an expansion team, falling just short of the cup with a loss to the Washington Capitals in a 4-1 series.
The Knights have been extremely successful since joining the league despite losing in the finals, finishing first in the Pacific division in 2018 and 2020, and poised to win again in 2021. The team has the unique situation of being in win-now mode, not building up much in terms of prospects or draft capital and instead making big UFA signings and superstar trades in their first five years of existence, most recently acquiring Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres during the 2020 season.
Vegas Golden Knights Standings
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the NHL. The Golden Knights have a passionate fan base and have had a remarkable start to their history, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season in 2018.
Vegas Golden Knights Betting Trends
Vegas Golden Knights
Team Summary
The Vegas Golden Knights are an NHL team playing in the Pacific Division based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. The team was the first expansion team to enter the league since the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild in 2003. Vegas set history with their inaugural season as the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals and win a game as an expansion team, falling just short of the cup with a loss to the Washington Capitals in a 4-1 series.
The Knights have been extremely successful since joining the league despite losing in the finals, finishing first in the Pacific division in 2018 and 2020, and poised to win again in 2021. The team has the unique situation of being in win-now mode, not building up much in terms of prospects or draft capital and instead making big UFA signings and superstar trades in their first five years of existence, most recently acquiring Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres during the 2020 season.
Team History
Nevada has always been a destination for a new team in the NHL as far back as 2009, first as a potential landing spot for the bankrupt Phoenix Coyotes. Though the Coyotes eventually relocated across the state of Arizona to Glendale, Las Vegas once again came into the centerfold of the NHL in 2014 after the league decided to move forward with a brand new expansion draft. The two locations came down to Vegas and Quebec, with the former winning out with its larger market and attractions. By the 2017-2018 season, the league was ready to officially introduce the Vegas Golden Knights.
Vegas was originally projected to be at the bottom of the league but surprised everyone by defying all expectations, led by forward William Karlsson and his 43 goals. The team finished with 51 wins and 109 points, winning the division and catapulting themselves all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Vegas has qualified for the playoffs every year since, winning the division again in 2020 and finishing second in the Western Division during the 2019-2020 realignment season.
2023 Key Stats
Vegas is once again looking to win the Pacific Division as they currently lead with a record of 28-16-3. The Knights faced an onslaught of major injuries to start the season, losing key players like Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Shea Theodore for several weeks. The team didn’t wait for their stars to return from injury before they started to win, finding ways to win despite a depleted roster. Vegas was already floating around a top-three spot in the division before activating the rest of their team from the IR, returning to the top of the Pacific with a dominant performance.
Chandler Stephenson leads the team in points with 12 goals and 26 assists in 44 games played, taking advantage of his expanded ice time with an elite performance. Both Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty have been excellent since returning to the ice, with Stone currently at 28 points in 28 games and Pacioretty at 23 points in 20 games. The team is expected to activate center Jack Eichel from the IR sometime in February- if this is true, the team will likely need to find a trade to fit in Eichel’s $10 million cap hit.
Vegas came under some criticism in the offseason after trading away Vezina-winning goaltender away to the Chicago Blackhawks for cap space, but Robin Lehner has stepped up as a true number one starter in Fleury’s wake with a record of 19-12-1 and an SV% of .910.
Championships Won by the Team
Vegas has not won a Stanley Cup in their short existence as a team, coming closest in their inaugural season. The Knights won the Pacific in their first year, earning a matchup against the wildcard Los Angeles Kings. The team would win their first-ever playoff series with a sweep against their division rivals, moving on to the San Jose Sharks, once again winning the series 4-2.
After defeating the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference Finals 4-1, the team advanced to the cup against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Vegas would win their first game with home-ice advantage 6-4 but would lose four straight and drop the series 4-1.
Vegas has still made the playoffs every season since 2018, making it to the first round in 2019, Western Conference Finals in 2020, Stanley Cup Semi Finals in 2021.
Important Team Events
It cannot be emphasized how much of an anomaly Vegas’ inaugural season was in the grand scheme of the history of the NHL. While it is true that the NHL was significantly better overall than it had been in previous expansion drafts resulting in higher overall talent to choose from, the Knights were still projected to miss the playoffs in the bottom half of the Pacific. For a more direct example, the team-leading goal scorer William Karlsson had a previous career-high of 25 points with Columbus. Nearly every line contributed to scoring, with previous middle six depth pieces like Erik Haula finishing the year with 29 goals scored.
Marc-Andre Fleury quickly became a fan favorite with his phenomenal bounce-back season, finishing the year with a stellar 29-13-4 record and an SV% of .927- a huge improvement from his previous year with a .909 SV% in Pittsburgh. The inaugural season for the Knights was truly something special, and likely something that will never be replicated again in the sports world.
Top Players
As a very young team in the NHL, there isn’t much to be said about franchise leaders just yet. However, the team has added significant pieces in the past several years, including Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, Max Pacioretty, Robin Lehner, and Jack Eichel. With these additions, the Knights have been able to take the momentum of their initial season and continue to win with sustained success, likely remaining contenders for the next several years.
At the moment, Jonathan Marchessault holds all scoring records for the team at 322 games played, 112 goals, and 146 assists. Marchessault was originally taken from the Florida Panthers in the expansion draft, remaining a pivotal piece of the top-six forward core since the team’s inception.
No surprises here when it comes to the net- Marc-Andre Fleury has set the bar high with 117 wins and 23 shutouts in his time with the Knights. Lehner is signed with the team for several more years but still has plenty of ground to cover with only three shutouts, and 35 total wins.
Top Coaches
The Knights have only had two coaches in franchise history. The coach that took over for the team immediately in their 2017-18 season was Gerard Gallant, coaching from 2017 until 2020 and finishing with a record of 118-75-20 in the regular season. Gallant was extremely effective as a coach and is credited with much of the success of the inaugural season, winning the Jack Adams Award for a most effective coach in the league at the end of the year. Unfortunately, Gallant would eventually be replaced by the coach that defeated him in game seven of the 2019 playoffs.
Peter DeBoer took over for the team in 2020 after Gallant was released during a four-game losing skid. DeBoer’s former team, the San Jose Sharks, had overcome a 3-0 deficit in the final 10 minutes of a game seven in the 2019 playoffs against the Knights, making the switch a bit awkward- in fact, Gallant had previously referred to DeBoer as a “clown” in a press conference the previous year.
DeBoer has still been excellent with the Knights since arriving, bringing the team to another Pacific Division title in 2020 and nearly winning the Western Division of the 2021 season. With the Knights looking like they’ll be finishing with another top-three spot at the end of the 2022 season, we can expect DeBoer to be pushing his team to make that next step in the postseason once again.
Vegas Golden Knights Recent Trends
Next Game
Injuries
Team Stats
Vegas Golden Knights Frequently Asked Questions
What year did the Vegas Golden Knights enter the league?
Vegas joined the league during the 2017 offseason as the first NHL expansion team since Columbus and Minnesota in 2003.
Why did the Vegas Golden Knights trade Fleury?
Despite winning the Vezina and being a fan favorite, the Knights were pressed to the salary cap and needed to make room fast to reactivate their stars and acquire superstar talent, Jack Eichel.
How many times have the Knights won a Stanley Cup?
Vegas came close to winning the cup in their first season ever, but fell just short to the Washington Capitals 4-1.
How many times have the Knights won their division?
Vegas has already won the Pacific twice, winning in both 2018 and 2020.
Who are the Knights’ biggest rivals?
Despite being a newer team, Vegas has generated quite a bit of bad blood. The Sharks and the Knights have already had some nasty playoff series against one another, while the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights games have been extra chippy in the last few years.
