If I told you that the Vegas Golden Knights aren't finishing with more wins than losses for the first time in franchise history in October, you wouldn't have believed me. You would've cited the tremendous names involved on the team, ranging from Jack Eichel to the newly minted Mitch Marner. However, that's where we stand after the Golden Knights lost in overtime to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.
For the first time in franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights will NOT finish with more wins than losses in an NHL season ❌ pic.twitter.com/JgHKpUfRXj
— PuckEmpire (@puckempire) March 27, 2026
Yep, not a good place to be if you ask me.
Nine losses in the last 10 games to Edmonton, combined with a slew of overtime losses (15, to be exact) have led to this point. The Golden Knights can only achieve 41 wins this season, which wouldn't put them past the total losses section.
That's right, dear reader. Not even the dubious 2021-22 season was like this. Mind you, the Golden Knights had 94 points that season to go with 43 wins. But it was the challenging Central Division that had so many tremendous teams that year that did them in.
Granted, the Golden Knights can still surpass that point total with a good run. But can fans honestly expect that from an underachieving team with more problems than America's balance sheet? It seems like that's wishful thinking for a team that continues to disappoint at every turn.
Again, the only solace for this season is the weak Pacific Division
While the Golden Knights have been absolutely pathetic this season, their last remaining saving grace has been their own division. With only the Oilers maintaining a positive goal differential (+5 entering Friday), it's obvious that the division's overall mediocrity is the only thing keeping Vegas afloat.
They wouldn't make the playoffs if Nevada were magically transported to the Eastern Time Zone. They would literally drown (which is nigh impossible to do in a desert) if they played in the Central Division. Like, this team isn't going far in the Stanley Cup playoffs (if they make it).
Of course, that leaves many questions about the Golden Knights and its past history. Which is the worst season in franchise history? Is it this dubious season where the team doesn't know how to win, yet they can somehow luck into the playoffs? Or is it 2021-22, where a slew of injuries devastated a team and got a head coach fired?
This season will unequivocably be the worst in Vegas Golden Knights history
Let's be honest for a second. The main reason why the Golden Knights missed the postseason in 2021-22 was because of injuries. The team had missed Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Max Pacioretty for some time, leaving them to rely on the Silver Knights for coverage. If that team somehow played in this timeline, they'd still be leaps and bounds better than this season's team.
This season has seen the Golden Knights collapse in many areas. That includes the goaltending, which has fallen off a proverbial cliff. You know how bad Adin Hill and company have been throughout the 2025-26 season, whiffing on many makable saves.
All of this culminates in an underperforming team that shouldn't make the postseason, yet could. Even if the Golden Knights make the Stanley Cup playoffs, the team will still be worse than the 2021-22 iteration based on expectations. You can't go about expecting to win it all in July and stumble out of the gate, you know.