Imagine this. You're watching the final seconds tick away from the Stanley Cup Final at Toshiba Plaza. The Vegas Golden Knights have won their second Stanley Cup, bringing the party back to Las Vegas. Everyone celebrates as the Golden Knights close out a hard-earned victory at T-Mobile Arena. It's time to get hammered and go on another adventure like The Hangover!
...At least, that's the dream of every Golden Knights fan as they enter the 2024-25 season. Who doesn't want to win it all for another year and rile up 31 other fanbases? It's the goal for Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and Vegas as they enter a new campaign with a different roster.
Gone are some "Original Misfits," including Jonathan Marchessault and William Carrier. The Golden Knights lost much of their forward depth to free agency over the summer. As a result, younger players such as Pavel Dorofeyev will take on a heavier workload. These players will be the go-to pieces for Vegas to rebuild the wing position, where they represent the future.
Of course, there's more to the team than a revamped group of wingers. There's also Adin Hill having the starting job to himself. Last season, he posted a GAA of 2.71 and a save percentage of .909. These numbers won't stand out to a regular NHL fan. However, Hill will benefit from having a forechecking-savvy system in front of him, where the Golden Knights will generate turnovers.
What is the best-case scenario for the Golden Knights heading into the 2024-25 season? What's the worst-case possibility that could set them back? First, let's examine the team's strengths and weaknesses heading into the new hockey year. That way, fans can better understand what the team's facing.
The strengths and weaknesses of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024-25
One strength of the Vegas Golden Knights is their depth down the middle. They have excellent centers such as Jack Eichel, William Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl who also act as bigger bodies. Other players such as Nicolas Roy and Mark Stone can fill in if there's an injured center. The unit has the perfect blend of offensive acumen and forechecking ability, making them dangerous for 200 feet of ice.
The blue line also shares this exceptional blend, with a solid mix of contributors (Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin) and pure defensemen (Nicolas Hague). Defenders such as Alex Pietrangelo have both sides covered, giving the Golden Knights much-needed help.
However, Golden Knight fans were also concerned with the goaltending position on Saturday. Adin Hill allowed three unanswered goals in a preseason loss to the San Jose Sharks, leaving fans worried about the position's viability. Granted, there have been times when Ilya Samsonov has shined. However, that could be a problem if Hill falls off a cliff.
There's also the power play, which has been historically bad. Scoring on 19.6% of your man advantage opportunities in your team history isn't a good sign. Kelly McCrimmon will have Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin on the unit, which has shown promise in the preseason. However, the Golden Knights need that to translate to games that matter, when points are on the line.