One thing stuck out as I was reading The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene. The greatest adversary one faces in one's lifetime is themselves. Oneself can become attached to numerous bits of nostalgia from the past, leaving them handicapped in battle. A good example is Napoleon Bonaparte defeating the Prussian Army during the 1800s.
While the Vegas Golden Knights won't be going to war for the United States any time soon (gotta protect Mark Stone's spleen!), they're looking to conquer 31 other NHL teams next season once again. That means having everyone playing at the highest level. Big names like Jack Eichel and William Karlsson are back for another round of battles, fending off anybody who comes near the Stanley Cup.
However, there's one factor that might catapult them to the top. Although the Golden Knights weren't stopped by this in 2023, it helps to have everyone on the ice for a majority of the 82 games played. It's also not guaranteed that this will favor the Golden Knights in 2024-25. Therefore, it's contingent on if Vegas gets a lucky puck bounce and stays at the top of its game.
Staying healthy will help the Vegas Golden Knights in 2024-25
The Vegas Golden Knights can point to injuries hindering their team during its Stanley Cup quests. In 2021-22, it eliminated them from playoff contention for the first time in franchise history. One perfect example of this was losing William Karlsson to a lower-body injury.
With that loss, the Golden Knights didn't have a key part of their special teams. The power play lost a key contributor with a knack for shooting from anywhere. They also lost a great penalty killer who could create turnovers and was a threat to score short-handed. Without those pieces, Vegas was severely handicapped as they lost him for 15 games in that campaign.
Karlsson has been relatively healthy during his Golden Knights career, dealing with minimal injuries. However, losing him for an extended period of time is an example of what happens when a key player goes down. That also goes for last season, when Karlsson and Jack Eichel were injured.
What about other players like Mark Stone?
Now, there have been some players who've been snakebitten by injuries. That includes Mark Stone, who's dealt with numerous freak injuries in the past three seasons. Regardless of whether it's a back injury or his spleen, the Captain hasn't been safe from the bug. As a result, it's culminated into jokes and conspiracies about Stone intentionally circumventing the salary cap come playoff time.
That's part of why he's played 136 games in the past three seasons. However, he's not the only Golden Knights star whose consistent presence will help the team. Jack Eichel has battled lower-body injuries throughout the past three seasons. While he's been on the ice more often (164 games since coming to Vegas), he's the offensive focal point. Therefore, there's the potential for putting up 90+ points.
There will be plenty of factors determining how the Golden Knights will play in the upcoming season. How will the new acquisitions do with the team? Will the goaltending hold up during the season or will it become a weakness? These questions are valid, for they can be easier to predict. But injuries are tougher to look at, especially with the NHL's fast pace. If things go well for the Golden Knights, they could project higher than expected in 2024-25.