The Vegas Golden Knights will reveal a new version of their team entering the 2024-2025 NHL season. They have made significant changes to their roster.
The Golden Knights have made the Stanley Cup Playoffs six times in seven seasons since joining the NHL as an expansion team in 2017-18. They aim for another playoff run in a dynamic new phase for the franchise.
Roster Departures
After winning the Stanley Cup in 2023, key players like Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson departed due to salary cap constraints.
“Part of the reason we won the Stanley Cup is we had so many players outperform their contract,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “Well, when their contracts come due, they go and find market value. That’s the nature of the business. It hurts. … At the same time, we’re very excited about moving forward.”
Marchessault’s departure is especially noteworthy for the Vegas Golden Knights. He has been a key player for the team since the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. He holds team records for most goals (192), assists (225), and points (417) in the regular season and for most goals (36) and points (75) in the playoffs.
His contributions were pivotal in the team’s Stanley Cup victory, earning him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs most valuable player.
Marchessault fairwell message on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/LRMtMDZ4pX
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) July 3, 2024
Can Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin step up?
Will Jack Eichel, typically known for his playmaking abilities, shift into more of a scoring role this season for the Golden Knights? With Jonathan Marchessault gone, the team will need to rely on Eichel’s goal-scoring prowess.
Jack Eichel doing Jack Eichel things ???? pic.twitter.com/6b1d09GL0J
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) September 28, 2024
However, given his injury history, the Golden Knights could be making a risky bet. He hasn’t played more than 68 games in a season since 2018-19 with Buffalo. Last year, a midseason knee surgery sidelined him for about six weeks.
Captain Mark Stone will also need to stay healthy this season as his play will be crucial to sustaining success for the team.
Noah Hanifin has seamlessly integrated into the Golden Knights lineup, with his smooth skating and quick passing style proving a perfect fit.
He recorded 10 assists in just 19 games last season, and with an entire offseason and training camp to build chemistry, Hanifin could have his best season yet. His performance should improve in his first full season.
Roster Additions
However, the team retains core players like William Karlsson, Brayden McNabb, and Shea Theodore. With young talent, including new acquisitions Victor Olofsson and Alexander Holtz, the Golden Knights are rebuilding while remaining competitive.
There will be a new goalie duo in the net this season as the Golden Knights traded Logan Thompson to Washington and added free-agent goalie Ilya Samsonov to pair with Adin Hill.
Playoff Chances
The Golden Knights benefit from several Pacific Division teams struggling to keep up, such as the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, and Calgary Flames, who will likely miss the playoffs again.
Given the rebuilding phase many Western Conference teams are in, the Golden Knights have a strong chance of securing one of the three Pacific Division playoff spots.
Although the Edmonton Oilers are frontrunners, the Canucks and Kings didn’t significantly improve. Despite a weaker roster, Vegas should improve on last year’s wildcard spot and earn a higher seed in the playoffs.
The Golden Knights are +350 to win the Pacific Division, which is understandable given the presence of the Oilers.
Oddsmakers have placed a 98.5 point total on this team, with the Over being priced at -120 indicating this team should definitely be in the playoff mix.
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
