Look, I know that we're in the midst of the holiday season, Vegas Golden Knights fans. You're already thinking about which Jack Eichel jersey you want to buy for the kids. After all, Christmas shopping is creeping earlier and earlier every year.
I wholeheartedly agree. At least let the families put the turkey on the table before we start thinking about gifts, eh?
Still, there are some Golden Knights that fans are absolutely thankful for. For example, Mitch Marner coming into the mix has been a boon for the franchise. 21 points are nothing to scoff at, especially since Vegas needed a premier winger.
Fans have already seen the rewards reaped from having a superstar winger play alongside stars like Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev. But what about four more names added to the mix? After all, you can't just make "21" memes and forget that there are other players on the team.
So, let's see these four other names that fans should be thankful for. Some names should be obvious since these players are clearing good. However, some names will surprise you like Grandma's mashed potatoes.
1.) Jack Eichel
This is an obvious one, especially after his incredible two-game stretch. The megastar has two goals and three assists in that span, marking a resurgence after a dormant November. The result? 10 goals and 19 assists, which projects to amount to 39 goals and 74 assists (113 points).
Most teams would give up many first-born children for a franchise center. For the Golden Knights, they're fortunate enough to have one who's one of the best when healthy.
2.) Pavel Dorofeyev
The Golden Knights are one of the older teams in the NHL, with an average age of 28.48 (10th-oldest in the league). With the team getting older, they don't want to end up where the Winnipeg Jets are as the league's oldest team (average age of 30.17). Luckily, fans can be thankful for young goal-scorers like Dorofeyev.
The Russian winger leads the Golden Knights in goals scored (11) and is only 25 years old. Make no mistake about it: Vegas needs plenty of young playmakers before they gobble up the age tree too much. Otherwise, they'll become a bunch of old turkeys. Speaking of younger guys...
3.) Braeden Bowman
It's not often that you find rookies who score four goals in six games. If he's undrafted? That's even more rare. However, that's the case for Braeden Bowman, who's become the antidote that the Vegas Golden Knights desperately needed with two power play goals.
The 22-year-old has already made an impressive impact on the Golden Knights roster, playing as good as a batch of deviled eggs. Since he was called up, the Golden Knights have scored six power play goals on 21 opportunities, signifying a massive turnaround for the eighth-best unit in the NHL (24.3% entering Monday).
4.) Tomas Hertl
Aside from setting the single-season franchise record for most power play goals in 2024-25 (14), Hertl has been an absolute boon for Vegas. He's scored four goals and three assists in his past seven games, including a five-game point streak from November 10 to November 18.
This season, he's already picking up where he left off, scoring four goals and three assists on the power play. Much has been made about Braeden Bowman filling in for Mark Stone. However, having a big slot presence like Hertl has also been beneficial. After all, you don't have the franchise's best power play in forever (28.3%).
Fun must be always... and delicious like pumpkin pie!