What exactly are we seeing right now from Vegas?

[ijuka]

Can't really have an issue with that contract. Best contract in the league.

Marchessault probably didn't have good enough corsi. As good a reason to get rid of him and Gallant as any.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Nice story, they have a ton of young talent/prospects too so they should be good going forward(defense; Brannstrom, Theodore, Hague +a deep defense pool in this years draft)... the have built a strong roster + strong future.

Great coach, I think the draft showed how deep hockey is with talent right now. I wonder if they consider moving some of their FA's at the deadline like neal/perron etc(guys that could bring back a 2nd/1st rounders and prospects back).

Now it would be really awesome if next season they just sign EK, JT and a top fa winger like Neal or Kane.

 

[Rob Brown]

Good coach with a good system with players that are buying in.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Overachievement

 

[Sam Spade]

I mean they got to take a lot of good players from other teams, and they have a really good coach, so while of course I am surprised, it's not as if they are Browns making the playoffs in NFL.

Not to mention the Pacific is not exactly a juggernaut division.

 

[Riddum]

They had a chance to build a good roster to be honest. That was the whole point of the expansion draft.

 

[Soundgarden]

Their expansion choices were incredibly underrated coming into the season, seriously remember when people were legitimately saying they'd be lucky to win 20 games all season, it's just insane with the talent they got.

They got 4 top 6 players from two teams! Add in Neal and Perron and that's their entire top 6 from four teams, not including players that were due for a breakout like Karlsson.

The quality of the players left exposed is a big reason why they're so successful, everyone buying into Gallant's system is equally as important.

 

[haveandare]

Gotta say, I thought they'd be horrible and I still don't get how exactly they're pulling this off. On paper, they look really terrible.

Have we seen a team so bad on paper play so well for an entire season in recent history?

 

[Soundgarden]

Gotta say, I thought they'd be horrible and I still don't get how exactly they're pulling this off. On paper, they look really terrible.

Have we seen a team so bad on paper play so well for an entire season in recent history?

Just curious, which players do you think look horrible on paper?

 

[PensandCaps]

Beginners luck.

 

[BattleBorn]

Didnt know that about him. It looks very bad to give up on him. Was it a contract issue?

He was the cherry on top to take on the Reilly Smith contract. I honestly think they were afraid of what he'd want after this season. A fear I kind of share as a Knights fan.

 

[Sojourn]

Gotta say, I thought they'd be horrible and I still don't get how exactly they're pulling this off. On paper, they look really terrible.

Have we seen a team so bad on paper play so well for an entire season in recent history?

I think they’re really well coached, and the players are buying into it.

 

[THall4]

A collection of decent to pretty good NHLers playing like they have something to prove. Is there anything else that could motivate a player more besides a chance to play for the Stanley Cup? Coupled with the Panthers going full idiot and firing Gerard Gallant..and Vegas scooping him up right quick.

Best part is, we all thought GMGM was an idiot for how he constructed this lineup...we all assumed they would be preparing Rasmus Dahlin's jersey before they even played a pre-season game.

 

[Vamos Rafa]

They are making a case for the best ever first-year expansion team. Does anyone remember a better first year for an expansion team? I sure don't.

 

[onlyalad]

Most treams have a couple of A players , a few B players, a bunch of Cs, a few Ds, and maybe a couple of Fs
Golden Knights have a quite a few Bs and the rest Cs
No As no Ds and no Fs.
Meaning that teams can’t really exploit a few player. It shows in ice time
Dmen almost all over 20 minutes a game
No forward over 20 minutes a game

 

[Yung Rotini]

How much of their home record is due to how they're playing vs their opponents rolling into the arena after getting loaded the night before?

Vegas is the only city where drugs, alcohol and a nightlife exists.

 

[onlyalad]

Vegas is the only city where drugs, alcohol and a nightlife exists.

That should be the city slogan! People would fly in from all over.

 

[haveandare]

Just curious, which players do you think look horrible on paper?

I don't think they have a single d-man who is a top pairing d-man on paper. Maybe Theodore and that's a big maybe given his lack of experience so far. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought a single d-man aside from Theodore would have any business playing anywhere but bottom pairing before this year. I also think the only forwards who are slotted where they'd seem to belong on paper are Neal, Jam, Smith (all top 6 guys arguably) Tuch (fine third line player) and Bellmare (solid 4c). Karlsson's career high was 25 points and now he's playing 1C - but he already has 29 in 35.

On paper, Imo, they looked like the worst team in the league by a fair margin. Obviously, out on the ice there's something different happening. It's fascinating.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

This is pretty crazy. It'd be one thing if they were 8th or 9th best team in the league but 24-9-2 is an astonishing record. They've made it a few weeks farther than the year Minnesota was 1st place I believe through 30 games and ended up missing the playoffs by 14 pts (that flipped after Dec. 10th and 20-7-3 record)

 

[Soundgarden]

I don't think they have a single d-man who is a top pairing d-man on paper. Maybe Theodore and that's a big maybe given his lack of experience so far. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought a single d-man aside from Theodore would have any business playing anywhere but bottom pairing before this year. I also think the only forwards who are slotted where they'd seem to belong on paper are Neal, Jam, Smith (all top 6 guys arguably) Tuch (fine third line player) and Bellmare (solid 4c). Karlsson's career high was 25 points and now he's playing 1C - but he already has 29 in 35.

On paper, Imo, they looked like the worst team in the league by a fair margin. Obviously, out on the ice there's something different happening. It's fascinating.

While they may not have picked up a no.1 defenseman they still chose some solid top 4 defenseman. You underrate Schmidt and Miller if you think they don't belong on a top 4. Schmidt looked pretty good with Washington last year.

 

[tom leafers]

I keep expecting them to crash, however with each game that passes i dont think its going to happen. They wont sustain the pace but i do believe they will be in the playoffs. Gallant is a better coach then given credit for. Florida really bunged up that firing

 

[Crazy Cizikas]

One of the best stories of the year and their lineup looks like this.

Depth - Depth - Neal
Depth - Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth - Depth

Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth
Depth - Depth

MAF
Depth
Depth
Depth

There is obviosuly some sarcasm there, but holy ****. These guys brought hockey to VEGAS and have only lost TWO GAMES on home ice.

I love it.
Unfortunately, I don’t see them going far in the playoffs (smaller/tighter game, WC juggernauts to be up against) if they make it, but I’d love to be proved wrong.

Sounds about right. But you forgot Dylan Ferguson after the fourth goalie depth.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

Gotta say, I thought they'd be horrible and I still don't get how exactly they're pulling this off. On paper, they look really terrible.

Have we seen a team so bad on paper play so well for an entire season in recent history?

I still don't get how this happened 2009-10 Phoenix Coyotes Roster and Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

And the Avalanche in their 2nd seed season even though they had some sexy draft picks in reality were a bad roster with no defensemen

 

[haveandare]

While they may not have picked up a no.1 defenseman they still chose some solid top 4 defenseman. You underrate Schmidt and Miller if you think they don't belong on a top 4. Schmidt looked pretty good with Washington last year.

True enough, saying they have no business in the top 4 is too much, but I think they're ideally bottom pairing guys on a good, deep defense.

 

[IceNeophyte]

How much of their home record is due to how they're playing vs their opponents rolling into the arena after getting loaded the night before?

I would say close to zero, seeing as many of the losing teams rolled in the day of the game, and with Fleury and Subban in net, the Golden Knights have been very good on the road.