Merry Christmas, Vegas Golden Knights fans! It's time to open those presents and celebrate your family and friends being in your life. Whether it's seeing Chance and his usual shenanigans at T-Mobile Arena or watching Jack Eichel win a hockey game with a breathtaking move, this season has been an absolute delight for fans.
Of course, fans can point to the various reasons this season has been such a present. The team has the highest points percentage in the NHL (.721) and is tied for the second-most points (49). Eichel (45 points) has also been a must-see TV event, elevating everyone around him. There's also the strong play at home, with the team boasting a record of 14-3-0 at T-Mobile Arena.
With these reasons come a formidable team that's suddenly a Stanley Cup contender. Much to the chagrin of the rest of the NHL, the Golden Knights are back atop their golden thrones in the hockey hierarchy. However, the aforementioned reasons aren't solely why this feels like the most satisfying gift.
Instead, it goes back to the summertime, where there was nothing but pain and panic. Jonathan Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, and other prominent forwards left the organization for "greener" pastures. It was supposed to be the "downfall" of the Golden Knights... or so they said. But what's the most satisfying reason for the start being such a gift?
Not many people were banking on the Vegas Golden Knights to be this good
Kelly McCrimmon has a funny way of making magical things happen with what he has. Victor Olofsson (seven goals in 14 games) is experiencing a career resurrection, turning back the clock as if he was still in Buffalo. Nobody expected the newly-extended Brett Howden (13 goals) and Keegan Kolesar (nine goals) to break out. Yet, here we are.
Yet the summer was a different story. Jonathan Marchessault (42 goals in 2023-24) was a big name on the free agent market and the Golden Knights wanted him to return. However, the "Original Misfit" wanted a fifth year and wasn't keen on taking on deferred money. Therefore, he suddenly became a fan of SEC football.
But a funny thing happened. Marchessault (12 goals) has fewer goals than Howden as it currently stands. Stephenson is back to his puck-moving self, leading the Seattle Kraken in assists (20), yet he only had three goals. It's like they weren't thriving in the system that made them a big name.
Proving the skeptics wrong, VGK style
Of course, there are other names like Michael Amadio (two goals, eight assists in 33 games with the Ottawa Senators) and William Carrier (four goals, five assists in 34 games with the Carolina Hurricanes) who are enjoying more successful tenures. However, the two big names aren't doing as much damage as anticipated, namely with the "Misfit." Therefore, it feels like a bigger gift given the Golden Knights's success this season.
That's especially true when people were writing them off as being a "non-playoff team." Not many people expected Vegas to recover like they did after the mass exodus of forwards hit. However, names like Pavel Dorofeyev (12 goals), Ivan Barbashev (15 goals) and Kolesar have stepped up to the plate. It's made life easier for the Golden Knights offensively, giving them a surprisingly deep group of wingers.
The biggest gift of all doesn't come from merely being successful. Rather, it comes from proving people wrong so far. Sure, the season is under halfway done and anything could happen. However, the skeptics who didn't believe the Golden Knights were making the playoffs are looking foolish now. The second half of the season's gonna be a blast, guys.