One would think that a team that made the Stanley Cup Final last season would have people feeling good about the team's front office. They'd figure that the team knows what it's doing and has a bright future ahead. However, it appears that the NHL has other ideas.
The Athletic ran a poll that talked about this exact topic on Thursday. It discussed the fan base's overall feelings, along with how the public felt about each front office. You'd be shocked to find out that the Golden Knights don't rank as highly as some people originally thought. In fact, they're the 11th -highest franchise in the rankings.
How confident are you in your team’s front office?
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) August 20, 2026
We check on each team’s management group and how their decisions are perceived by not only their own fan base, but the public at large. pic.twitter.com/VRmOzoGWhW
This came after a flurry of moves reset Vegas's overall roster and salary cap structure. Gone are names like Kaedan Korczak, Keegan Kolesar, and Pavel Dorofeyev. In are cheaper alternatives like Victor Olofsson and Parker Wotherspoon, offering a relief of sorts.
Is the vibe shifting in Las Vegas? Are fans beginning to turn on McCrimmon and the Golden Knights? Well, it's interesting to talk about this after Vegas just made the Stanley Cup Final in 2025-26. After all, the public can be extremely finicky and picky about many things. That includes a hockey team, which is certainly true here.
Is Kelly McCrimmon losing his juice with the Vegas Golden Knights?
Not quite. First, the Golden Knights just made the Stanley Cup Final and shocked the entire NHL world once again. Yes, they had their worst regular season in franchise history. However, McCrimmon also made a gutsy move to mitigate the head coaching problem by picking up John Tortorella. Bruce Cassidy gets relieved of his duties in the process and the Golden Knights win the Pacific Division (and eventually, the Western Conference).
Yes, the roster has some notable cracks, including the goaltending and the lack of a high-profile shooter. These problems could become magnified during the regular season, especially if Vegas gets off to a sluggish start. But the team is still loaded with superstars.
McCrimmon did his due diligence in acquiring superstars such as Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Tomas Hertl. Each has added another element to the team or has come through in the clutch, turning the Western Conference champions into a legitimate threat. This alludes to another point made about the general manager's tenure that fans can't forget: Earning the benefit of the doubt.
I'm of the firm belief that general managers like McCrimmon should get some leeway after making two Stanley Cup Final appearances in four seasons. If they win the Stanley Cup? Well, you can add even more leeway to the pile. That's what he has earned in the current landscape, where he'll still have it until the wheels start falling off.
The ranking from The Athletic will certainly shock some people. Sure, there might be some Facebook fans who might be slowly turning on the general manager. But McCrimmon does deserve the benefit of the doubt after somehow getting the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google