What exactly are we seeing right now from Vegas?

[LaVar]

fleury and subban have a combined record of 16-3-1

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Yeah of course.

Did you not read the thread before replying?

Their name is the Vegas Golden Knights.

Guess I needed the

 

[Sol]

Not enough?lol.

When they come crashing down things will be interesting.

 

[DitchMarner]

Has Robin Lehner offered an insightful theory on why they've had so much success yet?

 

[Jumptheshark]

Tbh there's a new thread almost every game. People are definitely talking about them

my response as well

 

[Balthazar]

If the OP would have just taken a moment to scroll down they would have seen many threads doing exactly what the OP says no one doing.

I didn't say no one was doing it, I said not enough. Enough is subjective.

 

[HandshakeLineRespect]

They are the darling of he nhl right now, don’t know what you’re talking about brah

 

[Uberdachen]

I'm surprised they're being so greedy with the home game scores they make up, eventually people are going to breach etiquette and look into what happens in Vegas.

 

[BattleBorn]

I think the league needs to take a look into the Vegas home advantage.

The home advantage just looks like a home advantage because the Knights had to break in the 4th string goalie on a road trip. They're playing like a good team and the home/away discrepancy shrinks with every road game they play with Fleury or Subban.

 

[fiveAMpractice]

Its funny about the talk around the visiting team in Vegas .
Meanwhile you have these 20 year old plus Vegas Knight players who are visiting the strip on a nightly basis going to shows, eating etc. but not even mentioned as a possible problem to their daily hockey lives.
Are they immune to the Vegas Flu because they have had a flu shot or maybe it's a great excuse for the coaches , media, jealous opposing fans to blame someone or something for this incredible Vegas story.

 

[belair]

25-9 is very impressive. They are resilient. But I still think by game 82 the division will be much tighter than it is now. I'd still be surprised to see them in the playoffs when it's all over.

My question is, if by some miracle, they win the Stanley Cup this season, does the NHL drastically alter the expansion draft rules the next time around?

 

[biturbo19]

It's pretty wild. In part, i think there's the obvious surprise factor, the Vegas factor, and the coaching factor with a highly motivated group of "castoffs" with chips on their shoulders. I think it also tells us a lot about the value of cap space, and the importance of depth that can play a role.

But the biggest thing is that i think it tells us a great deal about the way our current game has been ground into dust by systems play and hyper-analysis. Just how easy it is with the right "buy in" by players, to skate fast, work hard, and neutralize an opposing talent advantage on any given night. Then, with the advantage of catching teams a bit by surprise, to do so night after night for a long stretch.

It's kind of alarming, but i guess in some respects...shouldn't have been as surprising as it is.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

I think it just partially goes to show that chemistry (over multiple seasons) can be a little overrated and a good coach + system can do wonders when you have solid players who have bought into the system. Gallant is a great coach.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I'd say Fleury is the reason they're good but he was out for a while. But Gallant and McPhee are the big impacts to Vegas's success; on the ice I say probably Neal and Marchessault.

 

[chizzler]

Seriously. An expansion team with 23 players that have never played together before are currently 1st place in the Western conference near midway through the season. Everyone, myself included predicted them as a bottom 5 team in the league. Every expansion team that has ever come into the NHL has had embarrassingly bad records their inaugural years no matter who they drafted and signed in the offseason.

Is Vegas a top team? A middle of the pack team getting some good puck luck? Or are we seeing a fluke from a bad team that will eventually run out of gas?

Aside from the media making stories. Of course they are pretty good. They are a veteran team. I'm sure some teams out there would like to pluck some vets for their team. Florida had a similar run too. Eventually they will come down to earth. They will need to build for the future. Not sure I like the "get handed a good team" approach to expansion teams.

 

[BattleBorn]

Aside from the media making stories. Of course they are pretty good. They are a veteran team. I'm sure some teams out there would like to pluck some vets for their team. Florida had a similar run too. Eventually they will come down to earth. They will need to build for the future. Not sure I like the "get handed a good team" approach to expansion teams.

I don't know that Vegas was handed a good team. In fact, most people predicted they'd be pretty bad, 30th-31st was where most people seemed to have the Knights pegged. People that make lots of money to know hockey and message board posters alike.

I think it shows that there's more talent in the league than we expected, it tells us that a good coach means a lot, it tells us that guys with stuff to prove will play their hearts out, and that what happens in the dressing room really matters.

When Seattle comes around (or QC if that's the case) I'd bet a lot of money that they'll be nowhere near the Knights in points at the same point in their inaugural season with the same expansion rules.

I think something special is happening with the Knights and chalking it up to good expansion rules or luck just seems like selling it short. This is a good team on and off the ice.

I'm a Knights fan, but this is a pretty good general hockey story that's unfolding for everyone right now.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

Lots of their better players have a history have a history of having seasons of underachieving (Perron/Smith/Miller) or were somewhat unproven commodities (Marchessault/Schmidt)

all putting up career numbers so far

 

[PunkRockLocke]

I don't know that Vegas was handed a good team. In fact, most people predicted they'd be pretty bad, 30th-31st was where most people seemed to have the Knights pegged. People that make lots of money to know hockey and message board posters alike.

I think it shows that there's more talent in the league than we expected, it tells us that a good coach means a lot, it tells us that guys with stuff to prove will play their hearts out, and that what happens in the dressing room really matters.

When Seattle comes around (or QC if that's the case) I'd bet a lot of money that they'll be nowhere near the Knights in points at the same point in their inaugural season with the same expansion rules.

I think something special is happening with the Knights and chalking it up to good expansion rules or luck just seems like selling it short. This is a good team on and off the ice.

I'm a Knights fan, but this is a pretty good general hockey story that's unfolding for everyone right now.

Great post. I agree that this is a pretty special thing we are seeing and I definitley think fire expansion teams will enjoy this success. It's not impossible, but very, very unlikely. Even assuming they will have he same draft process (which they should).

This does show that the talent gap in the league is smaller than ever. Nothing wrong with that.

Vegas just has all the chemistry in the world right now, combined with great coaching, and in a league with a small talent gap and parity as a result, that's all you need to win. In end this is just an incredible story that we should all sit back and enjoy. The NHL didn't screw anything up. There is no finding out how this happened. Enjoy the story because that's what pro sports is all about - compelling the audience.

 

[HanSolo]

Guess I needed the

I read it as responding to sarcasm with sarcasm. The Emoji probably wouldn't matter.

 

[Battle Lin]

they looked for two things in the draft, speed and skill...they literally did not care about size, grit, physicality, or whatever...they picked the most skilled and fastest players available in the expansion

and looking at the available players there were surprising quite a bit of skill and speed to pick from...now they have a pretty skilled team and very fast, which is the new nhl

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

I read it as responding to sarcasm with sarcasm. The Emoji probably wouldn't matter.

Fair enough

 

[Capsman]

I personally don’t like it. The NHL was determined to make them a quick winner and they succeeded. Most teams had a talented 3rd line forward or 2nd pairing d-man they had to expose. Sure recipe for depth top to bottom. McPhee was also in a perfect position to blackmail teams. He would have had to screw up on a level not seen since his own Forsberg trade for Vegas not to be at least a strong playoff contender. I don’t think it’s nearly the feel-good story some see.

If they are going to win a SC now is the time, because more McPhee influence will bring them farther and farther from a cup.

 

[CuriousGeorge]

Seriously. An expansion team with 23 players that have never played together before are currently 1st place in the Western conference near midway through the season. Everyone, myself included predicted them as a bottom 5 team in the league. Every expansion team that has ever come into the NHL has had embarrassingly bad records their inaugural years no matter who they drafted and signed in the offseason.

Is Vegas a top team? A middle of the pack team getting some good puck luck? Or are we seeing a fluke from a bad team that will eventually run out of gas?

Is Vegas a top team? Is that a serious question? Check the standings and you will get your answer. It is not hard.

 

[MasterMatt25]

It gets worse. Florida protected the mighty Alex petrovic instead of keeping a player like March.

Didn't they actively try to trade him as well?

 

[KingsFan7824]

25-9 is very impressive. They are resilient. But I still think by game 82 the division will be much tighter than it is now. I'd still be surprised to see them in the playoffs when it's all over.

My question is, if by some miracle, they win the Stanley Cup this season, does the NHL drastically alter the expansion draft rules the next time around?

Nobody predicted this for Vegas. It was mostly, they might not be as bad as people think they'll be. Like bottom 10 instead of bottom 5. There was no 2nd overall at Christmas, with the 3rd best offense. If anyone saw that coming, they should get all the bitcoins in the world.

If any team wins the Cup, do they drastically alter rules? The Knights are as much of an NHL team as any other. Just because they're an expansion team doesn't mean they must suck. There has never been an expansion team under the cap until Vegas. If Columbus, Nashville, Atlanta, Minnesota, Florida, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Ottawa, and San Jose had come into the league with a cap, they also probably wouldn't have been as bad as they were. Or at least would've had better players to pick from. As with most things in life, it's about timing. Those cities got a team at a bad time(as did every expansion team after 1966). They should've waited 20 or 25 years for a team, not knowing when or if there would be a cap by then.

I personally don’t like it. The NHL was determined to make them a quick winner and they succeeded. Most teams had a talented 3rd line forward or 2nd pairing d-man they had to expose. Sure recipe for depth top to bottom. McPhee was also in a perfect position to blackmail teams. He would have had to screw up on a level not seen since his own Forsberg trade for Vegas not to be at least a strong playoff contender. I don’t think it’s nearly the feel-good story some see.

If they are going to win a SC now is the time, because more McPhee influence will bring them farther and farther from a cup.

A strong playoff contender? Quick winner? Stop. You can make an argument that the league wanted to see Vegas be more competitive than previous expansion teams. And again, the new variable called the cap plays a part in that, as did NMC's, which also didn't exist in previous expansion drafts. McPhee would have to massively screw up to not have a contender? If the vast majority of opinions on the expansion draft results weren't that McPhee didn't get the best team he possibly could, then I don't know how to read. All those defensemen they took? A lot of them not considered all that good? That was supposed to hinder their roster because he backed himself into a corner by not trading them quicker. Their lack of talent up front? They weren't supposed to score. Their big free agent, who I think was supposed to be their #1C, since they had nothing proven there, barely played a game, and left the team for Russia.