If the Vegas Golden Knights power play were a comedy special, they'd be on Netflix. The unit has been laughably bad throughout their short, yet storied history, with the best season coming in 2019-20 (22%). It's enough to make Dave Chappelle watch in awe as hockey fans laugh collectively at the unit's awful play.
That's despite having solid names such as Mark Stone and Jonathan Marchessault on the unit. Imagine having incredible scoring options and the most you could muster in a single season is 22%. How embarrassing is that? It's become a joke for the fanbase as they've lost hope every time the Golden Knights go on the man advantage. It's to the point where fans want to decline the penalty (i.e. the NFL).
Luckily, the Golden Knights have a proven track record of scoring on even strength. They've scored 1,362 goals on 5-on-5 situations throughout their history, an incredible feat for an expansion team. With that, let's see who's responsible for a chunk of these goals. Who's the all-time leader in even-strength goals scored in franchise history for Vegas? Who's been Mr. Reliable and handled 5-on-5 scoring with ease?
Jonathan Marchessault leads the Vegas Golden Knights all-time in even-strength goals with 150
In what should come as no surprise to Vegas Golden Knights fans, Jonathan Marchessault leads the all-time list in even-strength goals with 150. He also holds the all-time lead in power play goals with 42, making him a bona fide Golden Knight. But there's more to both lists than the former Conn Smythe winner being atop of them.
William Karlsson and Reilly Smith are second and third respectively in both lists. For even-strength goals, it's Karlsson with 112 and the current New York Rangers forward following him with 85. For power play goals, the Swedish forward is second with 28 while Smith trails him by one goal. Meanwhile, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty hold the fourth and fifth place spots on both lists. On even-strength goals, it's Pacioretty with 75 while the Captain has 61. On power play goals, Stone's fourth with 23 while the former Golden Knights star trails Stone by one.
Marchessault's impact on Vegas goes beyond being the leader of nearly every offensive statistic in franchise history. It's also a testament to how he played the game, sticking to his strengths and bringing a new dimension to the team. That will be in Nashville for the upcoming season, where fans will miss his bright personality and offensive acumen. However, they can count on more even-strength magic to carry them throughout the season.