There are two tales of different goaltenders in the history of the Vegas Golden Knights. One is a beloved figure in the community who had legendary careers with two teams. The first was the Golden Knights, of course. But this netminder also set numerous franchise records with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His name was Marc-Andre Fleury.
The other happens to be the most bizarre goaltender in the history of the Vegas Golden Knights. He's been involved in numerous controversies and "World Weekly News"-esque headlines, including declaring bankruptcy from his snake farm. Now? He's avoiding a physical exam, prompting Vegas to closely examine his contract. His name is Robin Lehner.
It's a tale of two different netminders for the team, where fans have a stark contrast of opinions. One became a household name and won a Vezina Trophy in 2020-21 for an outstanding season (1.98 GAA and a save percentage of .928). The other's a sobering story of what could've been, where the heir apparent fell off the map.
So how good was Fleury during his tenure? He nearly has a full monopoly on every goaltender franchise record. That includes the win column, where he was boosted by a strong forechecking unit and balanced scoring. So how well did the former Vezina winner do in this regard? Does his stranglehold on the record books continue here?
Marc-Andre Fleury has the most single-season wins in Vegas Golden Knights history
Again, wins aren't as important as sports fans think since they involve the entire team. It shows the franchise's overall depth and willingness to balance their group. It's part of how they've produced quality goal-scorers such as William Karlsson, making them the envy of the NHL. Marc-Andre Fleury is a shining example of how the Vegas Golden Knights took calculated risks and succeeded.
The Pittsburgh Penguins relied on Matt Murray to carry their franchise entering the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, leaving Fleury behind. Why stick with an aging goaltender when there's a younger viable option? The result was a Vezina Trophy win and holding the first four positions of single-season wins for Vegas's newest goaltender. How did he do in this regard?
- 35 wins (2018-19)
- 29 wins (2017-18)
- 27 wins (2019-20)
- 26 wins (2020-21)
Keep in mind that the 2020-21 campaign was a shortened season, which could've shot him further up these rankings. As for Lehner? His best position was sixth with 23 (2021-22), which came as the Golden Knights missed the playoffs for the first time. It puts into perspective how fortunate Vegas was to have a franchise goaltender to start the team on the right path.