Everyone can't stop talking about Rasmus Andersson going from the Calgary Flames to the Vegas Golden Knights. With news of Mitch Marner returning to his hometown, the trade has also taken hold of the hockey world.
Suddenly, the hockey world is talking about the Golden Knights potentially winning the Stanley Cup. Yeah, there are teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Minnesota Wild around. But they can't count out the Golden Knights because, well, they're the freakin' Golden Knights.
But this isn't the first time that the Golden Knights have swung for the fences on trades. In fact, it's become the "gold" (waka waka) standard for Kelly McCrimmon and company. Names like Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin have been big names that have flown into Las Vegas, leaving unhappy places for a chance to win the Stanley Cup.
So, let's take a stroll down memory lane and see how we got here. Three deals have charted the course for the Golden Knights to get back atop the NHL hierarchy. That has led to people hating on the franchise, whether they're from Ontario or Upstate New York (not an Albany expression).
3.) The Captain makes his way from the Ottawa Senators to Sin City
Not many people think about February 25, 2019, as a big day. It's like, ohh, this day came almost two weeks after Valentine's Day, so the clearance chocolates are almost gone. But this was the day when the Golden Knights acquired their future Captain, Mark Stone.
Out went Erik Brannstrom, Oscar Lindberg, and a 2020 second-round pick and in came a man with 126 goals and 245 assists in eight seasons with Vegas. On top of that, he got a hat trick in the Stanley Cup-clinching game, etching his name in Golden Knights history. Give that man all the expressions, will ya?
2.) Mitch Marner leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs for Vegas—without any tampering
Yes, I know. The first season hasn't even ended yet. But trading Nicolas Roy for an Olympian is major news. That's especially true when that Olympian has 12 goals and 39 assists entering Thursday's slate of games.
On top of that, Marner also has three goals and 13 assists on the power play this season, propelling them to first place in the Pacific Division. You can't deny that the Markham native makes the Golden Knights 10X better, haters and critics be d*mned.
1.) Jack Eichel goes from the Buffalo Sabres to Sin City and works great from home
This trade took a little bit to get going, particularly with Eichel's injury history. However, there's no doubt that the superstar center has impacted the Golden Knights positively. One example is from the 2023 Stanley Cup run, where he had six goals and 20 assists.
But Eichel also has franchise records for the most single-season assists (66) and the most single-season points (94). Kelly McCrimmon wanted a franchise center to build his team around and he got it. But it appears Eichel's going above the call for Vegas.