Vegas Golden Knights: Future Remains Bright Despite Stanley Cup Final Loss
The Vegas Golden Knights captured the attention of the hockey universe.
That was a fun ride, Vegas Golden Knights fans. This team beat all expectations and defied all of the odds. The Washington Capitals may have won the Stanley Cup, but when people talk about the 2017-18 season, they are going to talk about the Golden Knights wild run.
The one word sums up this Golden Knights entire season is insanity. Just pure insanity. Think about it, a band full of misfits and castoffs come together and help a city heal through the pain and suffering of the October 1st massacre. No one will forget about the tragic event that occurred on that day.
When the residents of Las Vegas needed help and support, the Golden Knights were there. They were one of the leagues best teams on the ice and the most giving teams off it. And that’s what made this team special from start to finish.
The story of the 2017-18 Vegas Golden Knights is a season that will never be replicated ever again by an expansion team. Sorry Seattle, but that’s just the truth of the situation. Other teams won’t make the same mistakes twice in a matter of a couple of years when there is another expansion draft.
An expansion team will never come one step away from a Stanley Cup in their first year. So with the inaugural season under their belt, where do the Golden Knights go from here?
Golden Knights general manager George McPhee has a lot of work to do in the offseason. With the abundance of cap space, he has the opportunity to bring everyone back for the 2018-19 season, though that doesn’t seem to be likely. However, he knows this team was only a piece or two away from a championship.
What the Golden Knights built this first season was a passionate fanbase. And we also know the Golden Knights are a team that’s ready to win right now. So if NHL free agents are going to be looking at a hockey market out west, Las Vegas is the perfect destination for them.
Furthermore, the two glaring weaknesses that stood out in the series against the Capitals was the mental lapses by the defense and losing a ton of faceoffs. Look for the Golden Knights to add a center and a defenseman or two by the end of the offseason.
The core players on the Golden Knights are all coming back, no questions asked. That core being Jonathan Marchessault, Willliam Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Alex Tuch, Shea Theodore, Nate Schmidt and Marc-Andre Fleury. And let’s not forget about those three 2017 first-round draft picks.
Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, and Erik Brannstrom are all primed to make significant strides in their developments. While it’s a long shot that even one of them makes the team out of training camp, this wouldn’t be the first time a Golden Knights player shocks the front office. All three prospects are likely to play prominent roles in 2019 and beyond.
Additionally, the team’s success stems from the hard work mentality by Head Coach Gerard Gallant. From day one, Gallant made it a point that he will get the most out of his hockey club and he most certainly did. And that shouldn’t change in 2018-19 either.
Next: Vegas Golden Knights Lose Heartbreaker, Season Ends In Disappointment
Overall, the 2017-18 Vegas Golden Knights will be a season that no one will ever forget. But the 2018-19 Golden Knights can be even better, and that should frighten the entire NHL. The future of Vegas hockey is in excellent hands with George McPhee and Gerard Gallant at the helm.