There’s a reason the Vegas Golden Knights call themselves the ‘Golden Misfits’. It’s a team full of players who, at worst, were discarded, and at best, weren’t wanted.
But as much credit as Vegas general manager George McPhee deserves for putting together a roster capable of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals on the fly, there has been, fittingly, some luck involved in Sin City.
That luck started with last year’s expansion draft – the first to feature the NHL’s new rules, which allowed the 30 existing teams to protect anywhere from nine to 11 players on their roster. That was a change from the previous expansion draft rules, which allowed existing teams to keep 12 to 15 players.
As such, McPhee had more to work with than previous GMs in his position. He still had to make his selections and build a roster though, which he did shrewdly by poaching players who, in hindsight, were undervalued.
Smith: trade
— Travis Yost (@travisyost) April 16, 2018
Marchessault: trade
Karlsson: trade
Theodore: trade
Tuch: trade
Fleury: trade
Six of their, what, top nine impact players came via trade? It’s nuts. Seattle won’t get the same relief. https://t.co/FDD4BYOraH
The talisman of the Golden Knights’ run has been goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. If you’re not a close follower of the NHL and are only tangentially aware of what’s been happening in the league over the years, you’ve probably heard Fleury’s name. That’s because he’s a three-time All-Star and three-time Stanley Cup champion, having won the title with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, 2016 and 2017.
So how does a player of Fleury’s calibre end up on an expansion team? Pittsburgh actually gave Vegas a 2020 second-round pick to take the 33-year-old off their hands, if you can believe that. As egregious as it sounds, the Penguins were justified in their decision because of the emergence of Matt Murray and Fleury’s contract.
It was a smart move by McPhee, but Fleury outperformed expectations this season by posting a career-best goals against average (2.24) and save percentage (.927).
The same can be said of Vegas’ leading-scorer, William Karlsson.
After point totals of 20 and 25 the past two seasons, the Swede more than tripled his production with 78 points this season. And the Golden Knights, again, received a 2017 first-round pick and a 2019 second-round selection to relieve the Columbus Blue Jackets’ of him and David Clarkson’s pricey contract.
Looking back at the draft, it’s fair to criticise the Blue Jackets and other teams Vegas traded with of overplaying their hands. However, McPhee still had to take advantage of those teams’ fear and he did so brilliantly, acquiring impact players and future assets that will ensure the cupboard is stocked for years to come.
Reaching the Stanley Cup Finals this soon was a fortunate byproduct, but like any good poker player, the Golden Knights made some of their own luck.
