Eight Stanley Cup playoff appearances.
Five division titles.
Five semifinal appearances.
Three Stanley Cup Final appearances.
Winning the Stanley Cup in 2023.
All of this isn't supposed to happen when you enter a sports league. You're supposed to be like the Seattle Kraken and only make the postseason once in your first five seasons. However, that's not how Bill Foley and the Vegas Golden Knights roll.
Instead, they've become one of the most consistent models for winning in more than just the NHL. They've become the proverbial envy of the sports world, putting up unprecedented numbers that weren't supposed to be, well, put up.
Mind you, Golden Knights fans have heard all the rumblings and hating from 31 other teams. That includes the loudest critics from San Jose and Toronto, both of whom are seething with jealousy that they don't have a Stanley Cup this millennium.
Oh well. Couldn't be me.
Anyways, it's time to dive deeper into the numbers of how well Vegas has done to start its NHL journey. What numbers stand out the most among the franchise? How does its start compare to the 31 other NHL teams in the grander scheme?
Looking at the numbers that made the Vegas Golden Knights an incredible expansion story
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, the Vegas Golden Knights have gained the fifth-most points in the NHL (878). Only the Tampa Bay Lightning (922), the Boston Bruins (919), the Colorado Avalanche (917), and the Carolina Hurricanes (895) had more points than the Golden Knights in that span.
That's right, the Golden Knights had more points than the Maple Leafs (877) and the San Jose Sharks (635). Sounds like there's plenty of copium to go around, especially with the Golden Knights making the Stanley Cup Final three times and winning once in 2023. But that's not all that the Golden Knights can brag about.
The Golden Knights also have the best playoff-winning percentage all-time with a percentage of .594. That's better than prominent powerhouses like the Edmonton Oilers (.582), the Montreal Canadiens (.573), and the Lightning (.554). Yeah, I know, Vegas hasn't been in the league long enough and yada yada yada. But you still can't deny that the run since the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs has been spectacular.
The stats show how well the Golden Knights have functioned since "Day F*****g One"
If you want further perspective of how well the Godlen Knights have played, look at this history tidbit. Only the St. Louis Blues (1967-68) made the Stanley Cup Final in their first season as an NHL team, aside from the Golden Knights in 2017-18. Mind you, this was the league's first wave of expansion, making the latter even more impressive.
You can go on about the "expansion rules" and "salary cap circumvention" all you want. But you can't deny that the Golden Knights have been well-run since the start. That has ranged from bold moves like acquiring Mark Stone and Mitch Marner to cutting off players before they overstayed their welcome.
It's part of why the Golden Knights have become so reviled by the 31 other teams. Bill Foley and company have done excellent work in making the toughest decisions, with the controversial coaching moves in March being a shining example. Here's to making the people in Canada and Northern California salty for years to come!
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