Vegas Golden Knights season preview
Winning back-to-back Stanley Cups is never an easy task for anyone, but the Golden Knights essentially have the same group that won it this past spring. Vegas will once again compete for the Pacific Division title.
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Offense
Vegas had a very interesting 2022-23 regular season. They weren’t all that dominant offensively, finishing in the middle of the pack for goals per game (3.26) and power play success (20.3%), but they really turned it on in the playoffs (4.00 goals per game), and they can carry that momentum into 2023-24. Vegas is a very deep team, especially down the middle with Jack Eichel, Chandler Stephenson, and William Karlsson. Goal-scoring won’t be an issue for the Golden Knights, but staying healthy after winning the Stanley Cup will be something to look out for.
Defense
Team defense is the Golden Knights’ bread and butter. They finished in the top five at allowing high-danger chances against per 60 minutes and under Bruce Cassidy, they have become a flawless team when it comes to defensive structure. Starting with Alex Pietrangelo, their core is as strong as they come in the NHL. We saw it more in the playoffs than we did during the regular season, but since they didn’t make any changes to their blue line, I expect this team to continue that trend of being strong in their own end.
Goaltending
Adin Hill made himself a household name during the Cup run last season, but the question is if he will be able to sustain that for a full regular season. He only appeared in 27 games last season, but he was very strong and earned 16 wins while skating to a .915 save percentage and a 2.50 goals against average. Luckily for Vegas, they will have a strong backup in Logan Thompson, who had an incredible rookie season before being injured. Thompson played in most of their games last season, boasting a .915 save percentage as well and earning 21 wins. Hill and Thompson need to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke.
Player To Watch – F Jack Eichel
Eichel finally quieted his haters this past season. He led the team in points during the regular season (66 P in 67 GP) and continued that into the playoffs, leading all skaters with 26 points in 20 games. Now that he got his Cup, Eichel can play more of a stress-free game, and I am very excited to see how he follows up last season. He has solidified himself as one of the best centers in the NHL, and I could see him putting up 80+ points if he stays healthy.
Outlook
There’s no denying that the Golden Knights should return to the playoffs. I think that they will compete for a top-three spot in the division, but I don’t see them winning it this year. The regular season could be tough for them after a long playoff run and shortened summer, but this group will be scary yet again next spring.
