Kelly McCrimmon has shown himself to be an adaptable person. He made an array of moves to solidify a Stanley Cup contender over the years, bringing in superstars like Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. That's how he's earned the mantle of being one of the best general managers in the NHL today.
However, a new rule originally intended for the 2026-27 season has been bumped up. It's already got the 31 other fan bases pointing their fingers and laughing at Vegas.
Sources: The #NHL and #NHLPA have agreed to a rolling implementation schedule for CBA changes.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) September 2, 2025
Among them: the new playoff salary cap system will come into effect *this season* for the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Sure, that sounds as frightening as a headless horseman. However, that doesn't mean all hope is lost. If there's one thing the franchise has done extremely well since its inception, it's adapt to adverse situations without breaking a sweat.
That's partially why they've won a Stanley Cup and made two Stanley Cup Final appearances. That's also why they've made the Stanley Cup playoffs every season except for 2021-22. Throw in four Pacific Division titles and it's easy to see why fans have faith in the front office.
A couple of reasons come up in this scenario. It shouldn't be a thought into the fan base's minds pertaining to the salary cap rules for the Stanley Cup playoffs because of these reasons.
Why Vegas Golden Knights fans and Kelly McCrimmon shouldn't worry too much about the rules
First, McCrimmon has shown he's adaptable. Creating salary cap space has been the general manager's specialty, where he's let players walk when the circumstances were right. If a Misfit asks for five years at the ripe ol' age of 33? Sayonara.
That's no different here, where the general manager isn't afraid to make the necessary cuts to remain competitive. Will there be a time when the team eventually ages out and the Golden Knights aren't competitive? Sure thing. However, that time isn't now.
Second, it applies mainly to the Mark Stones of the world. No longer can you activate him just before the Stanley Cup playoffs start. Now, everyone has a level playing field entering the playoffs, which is perfectly fine.
After all, it's not like Vegas was the only one doing it. Teams like the Edmonton Oilers, the Florida Panthers, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have all engaged in some form of salary cap movement.
And yes! The Golden Knights themselves were a victim of this. Just look at what happened with Evander Kane, who got activated just before the playoffs.
Golden Knights have nothing to worry about with the new salary cap rules
Sure, activating Mark Stone (insert 'circumventing the salary cap' jokes here) is off the table for the foreseeable future. However, that also goes for other Stanley Cup contenders.
No longer will you see Nikita Kucherov return for a Stanley Cup run just before the regular season ends. You won't see Edmonton try and fumble their way with the LTIR rules themselves, either. In a way, this benefits Vegas more than people realize.
For those saying that the Golden Knights circumvented the cap in 2023, they were under the cap for that Stanley Cup run. Therefore...
Finally, trust in GMKM. He's the right man for the job.