Many people want to see the Vegas Golden Knights fail. They're tired of the team being overwhelmingly successful and allegedly "bending the rules." It's no wonder everyone cheered when the Carolina Hurricanes vanquished them in six games in the Stanley Cup Final.
But it appears that this isn't the case, according to The Athletic's fan survey (roughly 20,000 fans). One of the categories in said fan survey talked about which teams weren't likely to win the Stanley Cup before 2036. Believe it or not, five Pacific Division teams made the Top 12, with the Vancouver Canucks topping the list.
The Athletic asked fans: Which team are you most confident will NOT win a Stanley Cup before 2036? 🤔 👀 pic.twitter.com/E9C9ARpvOH
— NHL Forum (@NHLxForum) August 8, 2026
Mind you, three of those teams are rebuilding (Vancouver, Calgary, and Seattle). It makes perfect sense for the mundane trio to appear on this list, especially with middling front offices. However, the two biggest shockers were the Oilers and the Ducks.
The Oilers, despite having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, had 3% of the vote. But the roster is getting older and they're in Canada. Meanwhile, the upstart Anaheim Ducks, who took the Vegas Golden Knights to six games in the Second Round last season, finished behind them with 2%.
All of this leads to a fruitful future for the Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Of course, that could mean that these teams dominate the division and make the Stanley Cup Final. But the latest fan survey points to Vegas being relevant for quite some time.
Why Vegas Golden Knights fans should feel confident about The Athletic's latest fan survey
The Golden Knights operate under a sound salary cap system that emphasizes balanced salaries. When the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup in 2023, not a single player made more than $10 million AAV. That's a similar formula that the past three Stanley Cup champions have also utilized.
The Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes also didn't have a player above $10 million AAV in their Stanley Cup runs. That proved that balance is vital in winning a Stanley Cup. Imagine being covered at all positions and not having to worry about a glaring weakness. That's the formula that many Pacific Division teams have missed, sans the Golden Knights.
The Anaheim Ducks gave Leo Carlsson a five-year, $18 million AAV contract to avoid going to Philadelphia. The San Jose Sharks gave their gigastar, Macklin Celebrini, a five-year, $18.8 million AAV deal so he wouldn't be offer-sheeted. Kelly McCrimmon doesn't believe in overpaying players, regardless of their talent. It's no wonder that Vegas has been successful since its NHL inception.
Now, that's not to say that the Golden Knights won't run into any trouble. Last season, they had the NHL's second-oldest roster. However, front office incompetence all around makes this much more bearable for Vegas to handle. It doesn't matter if it's signing middle-six players or leaving your restricted free agents open to offer sheets. General managers like McCrimmon and Bill Zito are winners since they don't make these mistakes.
In turn, that's what makes the Golden Knights perennial contenders. Sure, that might not mean that this equals Stanley Cup success. However, it shows that the future doesn't look as murky as people make it out to be. It helps to be one of the smartest guys in the room, you know.
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