The Vegas Golden Knights may be sitting in the wild card of the latest NHL Playoff Bracket, but don’t let their low position fool you. With the likes of Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanifin, and Tomas Hertl joining, perhaps no team is more championship-ready at the moment than Vegas.
Oh, and there’s also the fact they won the Stanley Cup last season, so to rephrase that, it should be that Vegas is looking more ready to defend its championship than they have at any other time this season. Even if everything remains even from now until April 18th, and the Knights don’t claw back into at least third place in the Pacific Division, Vegas could be this year’s version of the Florida Panthers - to an extent.
The difference? They are a much stronger team than Florida was this time last season, hence their four games to one victory in the Stanley Cup Final - and that was without Mantha, Hanifin, and Hertl. In Florida’s case, the Boston Bruins were that unlucky team that fell to them in the First Round, and in Vegas’, it would be the Vancouver Canucks.
Current NHL Playoff Bracket is shining on the Vegas Golden Knights
With a narrow lead in the NHL’s Western Conference, the Canucks just can’t catch a break lately, and that could play into Vegas’ hands. Sitting at just 5-3-2 in their last 10 games and 9-7-3 since the All-Star Break, Vancouver would not enjoy an easy series if they end up playing Vegas, despite the Knights recent struggles.
Sure, the Knights may be 7-9-1 in that same span, and they noticeably struggled against teams like the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets, and even Vancouver. But the recent trade additions will, at some point toward the end of the season, point the Knights in the right direction.
It’s also worth mentioning that this team is also 3-1-0 since the trade deadline, and you can expect that record to improve as the new star and supporting players mesh. When Hertl makes it back, nobody will want to play Vegas.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)