The 2024-25 NHL campaign is about to start, so let's preview the Golden Knights upcoming season.
In 2023, the Vegas Golden Knights managed to capture their first Stanley Cup in just their sixth year as an NHL franchise.
As a result, with the team running back a very similar roster last season, it seemed as though a rare back-to-back Stanley Cup run was possible. However, Vegas struggled as the year went on, and barely reached the postseason. Once they made it there, they blew a 2-0 lead to the Dallas Stars in their first round series.
Following the disappointment of an early playoff exit, Vegas' offseason then also left something to be desired. They lost more key pieces than they gained, and the team doesn't look as intimidating on paper as they were to end last season.
So below, we take a look at the Golden Knights' projected roster and realistic expectations for the upcoming season.
Golden Knights projected defense group and goaltending
On the blue line, Vegas looks very similar to last season, with Alec Martinez being their one notable departure. Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, Nicolas Hague, Zach Whitecloud, and trade deadline addition Noah Hanifin all return. It's a well-rounded blue line that stacks up well against most other NHL defense groups.
In goal, Adin Hill returns as the team's clear starter. He was crucial in Vegas' Cup win, and in just two years with the team while Robin Lehner has been unavailable, he's established himself as a key part of their core.
At the same time, Hill still has yet to play more than 35 games in a single season to this point. In each of the last two seasons, Logan Thompson actually ended on the ice for more games than Hill. However, this summer, they traded away Thompson to the Washington Capitals for draft picks, and as a replacement, the Golden Knights signed Ilya Samsonov.
To this point, Samsonov has seen wildly mixed results over his career. A first-round draft pick of the Capitals, Samsonov never really worked out with his initial organization. However, upon joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022-23, Samsonov saw the best results of his career, posting a .919 save percentage over 42 games with the team. This past season though, Samsonov wasn't able to replicate those results, managing just an .890 save percentage across a similar workload.
Essentially, if Hill can stay healthy, Vegas is still likely set in goal. But if Samsonov is called upon to take a lot of games, it's up in the air as to what Vegas is going to get.
Golden Knights projected forward group
While the Golden Knights managed to retain most of their forward pieces after their 2023 championship, this past offseason was a bit different. Notably, they lost Jonathan Marchessault, who had been with the team since their inaugural season. Then William Carrier – another “original misfit” – signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, while Michael Amadio went to the Ottawa Senators, Anthony Mantha joined the Calgary Flames, and Chandler Stephenson signed a huge deal with the Seattle Kraken.
The team does still have stars in Jack Eichel and Mark Stone leading the way, along with key contributors in Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson and Ivan Barbashev. Meanwhile, their depth will come in the form of Nicolas Roy, Pavel Dorofeyev, Brendan Brisson, Brett Howden, and Keegan Kolesar. Plus, the team added Victor Olofsson, Alexander Holtz, and Zach Aston-Reese this summer.
However, the Golden Knights' forward group still looks thinner. There's going to be a big reliance on the team's top forwards to provide the bulk of the scoring, and if they don't, the team's offense could really suffer.
Golden Knights benefit from weak Pacific Division
Vegas benefits from a couple of teams within the Pacific Division who won't be able to keep up. Right off the bat, the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Flames are probably likely to miss the playoffs once again. And while the Kraken may have improved this offseason, they're still ultimately coming off a sub-.500 season.
So Vegas still has a very good shot at locking up one of the three Pacific Division playoff spots. The Edmonton Oilers are frontrunners, but you could argue both the Vancouver Canucks and Los Angeles Kings really didn't improve this offseason.
Vegas got into the playoffs through a wildcard spot last year, and there's a decent shot they can do better than that this season. So even though their roster may be weaker, the Golden Knights' season outlook probably doesn't look any worse.
Golden Knights championship window could be closing
Still, it seems like if Vegas was going to capture a second Stanley Cup with this group, last season was probably the time. They had an extremely similar roster to the one they won with, but fizzled out late in the year.
This season, the odds of truly contending look a little worse. Vegas is weaker, and the reality is that at some point in the playoffs, they'd likely need to take down the Oilers. With Edmonton being one win away from a Cup last year, and arguably now looking better on paper, it's not an easy task.
Vegas should be a playoff team, especially given the sheer number of teams in the West who are firmly rebuilding. However, whether they're still strong enough to actually contend is a little more in question.
