The Vegas Golden Knights are the reigning Pacific Division and Western Conference champions. On that journey, they fought every game for a top seed going into the playoffs and then clawed their way to the Stanley Cup Final. During the regular season, they battled some of the NHL’s best and worst teams to collect 39 wins and 95 points, the fourth-highest point total in the conference.
Unlike the East, the three worst teams in the league are in the West, and two of them are in the Pacific Division. Today, we take a quick look at the three least threatening teams in the division for the Golden Knights.
Seattle Kraken
Unless Vegas skates against the Seattle Kraken in an outdoor game, they never have to worry about going up against their expansion cousin. Through 19 regular-season meetings, the Golden Knights have an almost impeccable 13-3-3 record against their Northwestern rivals, with their last regulation loss coming on January 1, 2024, at T-Mobile Park.
Outside of one playoff appearance during their second season in 2022-23, where they finished fourth in the Pacific, the Kraken have yet to duplicate that year’s success and usually end up finishing sixth or seventh. This summer, they tried to sign star Jason Robertson, who politely declined their eight-year offer, which weakened the franchise’s reputation as a place no one wants to play.
Certain people call the Kraken a "Better Expansion Story" than the Golden Knights. But they also don't know that Seattle's a bigger television market than Las Vegas. When will they ever learn?
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames had a great run with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk early in the decade, but by 2023, management blew up the roster, and the franchise entered another rebuild. That’s why Vegas fans can be thankful for defensemen Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson, who came to the desert in two separate trades as the Alberta-based team tried to recoup assets for veterans on expiring contracts. Although Vegas has earned a 19-9-2 record in 30 games against Calgary, the Flames do get the odd win here and there, but overall, are not a threat to the Golden Knights’ overall success.
Vancouver Canucks
About 15 years ago, the Vancouver Canucks were the best team in the NHL. But since the Golden Knights joined the NHL in 2017-18, the club has qualified for the playoffs just twice and routinely finishes fifth or lower in the division.
Last year, they were the worst team in the league with just 25 wins and 58 points, their worst full-season totals since 1998-99. Of course, the Canucks went on to draft Henrik and Daniel Sedin, now Co-Presidents of Hockey Operations, two of the men responsible for turning the franchise around. Even with a new coach, former player Manny Malhotra, Vancouver is far from contending and is still sorting out its rebuild, especially regarding Elias Pettersson, meaning fans expect the team will earn another shot at the first overall pick at the 2027 Draft.
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