Sunday thoughts about... the last month without hockey

Whenever someone mentions the idea that this is the last month of a respective sport (or any measure of time), it excites fans. The prospect of their favorite sport coming back has people circling their calendars, looking for dates to attend games. It's the most wonderful time of the year when the sports schedule ramps up.

That's the case for a few sports, starting with the NFL. On Thursday, the Chicago Bears will face off against the Houston Texans, marking a continuous slate of NFL games that will continue until mid-February. There's also the NBA and NHL, which will see exhibition games kicking off in September. That means the Vegas Golden Knights will be back at T-Mobile Arena, taking over the city of Las Vegas.

Big names like Alex Pietrangelo and Jack Eichel will grace the ice, making astounding plays for the fans. There will be ups during the season and there will be downs. There will also be hot streaks and cold streaks associated with the league. That's the beauty of enjoying a precious sport like hockey, where some teams can come from nowhere.

What the Vegas Golden Knights could face next season

The Vancouver Canucks are a perfect example of this, for they came out of nowhere to win the Pacific Division. They compiled 109 points and came within a game of making the Western Conference Finals. Superstars like Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes will make life tough for the Vegas Golden Knights next season, with Jack Eichel and company preparing to play their best.

But they're not the only team to watch for. The Anaheim Ducks have a young core ready to take the next step, led by Trevor Zegras. Whether they go through with that will be the question. However, they're heading in the right direction, drafting Beckett Sennecke as their latest draft pick. The Seattle Kraken added notable pieces like Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour to the mix. The Kraken hope to return to the playoffs and create a similar story to the Golden Knights.

How can Jack Eichel, Alex Pietrangelo, and company handle this?

So what can Eichel, Alex Pietrangelo, and company do to tackle this? One way is to work with their newest additions, including Victor Olofsson and Alexander Holtz. The two pieces have great upside to their game, giving the Golden Knights more bang for their buck. Getting more from their power play will also help, especially since the unit's been historically bad. Vegas can topple their franchise high of 22% in 2019-20 with a more coordinated play, with Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin playing a full season.

Whatever the case, 2024-25 offers the Golden Knights the chance to turn the page. Yes, some tenured figures are no longer in town. However, the logo remains the same along with the traditions. The victory flamingos aren't going away soon, so prepare to pack T-Mobile Arena again. August will be the last month without hockey.