Getting penalized in the NHL is never a good thing. Committing a dangerous act can leave your team short-handed and at a disadvantage. When there are teams like the Edmonton Oilers or Vegas Golden Knights roaming around, they get a golden opportunity to pounce on the man advantage. That does many things, including stopping any momentum a team might have. If players like Ivan Barbashev or Nicolas Hague do this, the team is in trouble. That even goes for Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar. Can't have the gravy train stop, you know!
The Golden Knights didn't have this problem last season, earning the second-fewest team penalty minutes last season (585 total). They were only behind the Dallas Stars (the team that eliminated them last season), who earned 554. This concept is nothing new for the team. The season prior, the Golden Knights led the NHL in fewest team penalty minutes with 589. Of course, that led to greater things for the team, including a Stanley Cup.
It's a testament to their brand of hockey, making them one of the NHL's best. Vegas plays disciplined hockey in every sense, abstaining from losing their composure and committing momentum-swinging plays. Whether it's Bruce Cassidy or former coach, Pete DeBoer, it's become part of the team's identity over the years. It's also led to winning hockey, with a Stanley Cup coming in 2023.
However, there have been some players who have been naughtier than others. They've led the team in penalty minutes, committing foul acts that hurt the team. Granted, it wasn't on purpose, for the NHL is fast-paced. Still, the team has had players who've racked up time in the penalty box. Here are the three penalty kings from the 2023-24 season for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Ivan Barbashev
Being a physical player has its ups and downs, starting with knocking opponents around. It rattles their physique and leaves them wondering where they're at. It's no different with Ivan Barbashev, who had 180 hits in 2023-24. However, there are times where those hits become overwhelmingly dangerous. That leads to some time in the penalty box, which happened to Barbashev quite a bit.
The Russian forward had 42 minutes in the sin bin last season, ranking third among Vegas Golden Knights players. That was tied for the most in his career, with his other season of 42 coming in 2022-23. Overall, he was well-behaved and picked up his production in December, becoming a proficient player with 19 goals and 26 assists. That included three power play goals and a shooting percentage of 15.6.
He also had 21 penalty minutes in December and January combined, which inflated that number. Still, that's a far cry from players who can't stay out of trouble. That's especially true with Vegas, who play a more disciplined style of hockey. Hopefully, this year is more forgiving for Barbashev as he focuses on upping his production to his 2021-22 numbers (26 goals and 34 assists that season with the Blues).
Nicolas Hague
Nicolas Hague is well-known for being a big defenseman. He stands at 6'6" and weighs 240 lbs., crushing anyone under his feet. The 25-year-old also used his big frame to deliver punishing hits last season (153, a career-high). In turn, he's become one of the most important blue-liners for the Vegas Golden Knights.
However, he was also second on the Golden Knights in penalty minutes with 43. His highest marks were in October (14) and March (11). Those two months consisted of two fights and an illegal check to the head against Winnipeg Jets center Vladimir Namestnikov. Those three majors made up 15 minutes of penalty time for the big blue-liner. Besides that, he's been good at staying out of the penalty box.
Overall, Hague is a burly guy who isn't afraid to go at it with someone else. He knows his size well and will punish anybody who messes with him. Whether delivering bone-crushing checks or brawling with another hockey player, the native of Kitchener, Ontario shows why he deserves to be a Golden Knight long-term.
Keegan Kolesar
The entire list of Golden Knights stars as penalty kings have honestly played great hockey. They've done well to avoid taking bad penalties, especially when compared to players like Liam O'Brien (who led the NHL in penalty minutes last season with 153). That's why the Golden Knights had the second-fewest team penalty minutes in 2023-24.
Therefore, it's expected that Keegan Kolesar would follow the same lead. But would he? The right-winger would lead the team in this category, collecting a total of... 49 penalty minutes. Kolesar had a head start on his totals with 34 in the first three months. However, he would cool off significantly, leading the fourth line throughout the 2023-24 season. As a result, he only had 15 penalty minutes after those first three months.
When your team's leader in penalty minutes only has 49, it's a testament to how they operate. By letting cooler heads prevail and not taking bad penalties, it sets them up for success. While Kolesar is supposed to be the "enforcer," he's more of a productive fourth-line player who hits people. He's grown into that role well, making him one of the more underrated players for the Golden Knights.