Almost eight years ago, the Vegas Golden Knights were born. They were the first professional sports team in the four major sports in the Las Vegas market. Not many people expected them to do much (myself included).
You simply can't beat the narrative that expansion teams don't reach the championship round, after all. It doesn't happen since most teams protect their best players. Surely, this time around would be different, right?
Long before Pavel Dorofeyev sniped goals on the power play, the Golden Knights made the Stanley Cup Final in their first season. Nobody saw it coming. Yet, here they were with 109 points and a Pacific Division crown. Names like Marc-Andre Fleury and William Karlsson led the way, bringing Las Vegas together.
All was good and dandy, except for one thing: The power play. The unit languished with an endless array of passes and turnovers in the offensive end, causing frustration among Golden Knights fans.
"Oh no, it's the NV Energy power play..."
"Time to get some popcorn since they're not scoring here."
Well, dear reader. Times have changed. Fans have seen this unit be the only group with a power play percentage over 30% this season (entering Thursday's game against the Winnipeg Jets, of course). Nobody saw this day coming, especially from a group that lost its previous merchants, Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson.
That's not all, though. This unit has staying power. That's right, Las Vegas. Plenty of players are sticking around for the long haul, keeping this special teams group upright throughout the years. Here are some examples of key players sticking around.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights will have a strong power play for years to come
When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Tomas Hertl from the San Jose Sharks, their power play was in shambles. In fact, they never had a percentage over 22% when they traded for him.
Golden Knights season | Power play percentage |
|---|---|
2017-18 | 21.3% |
2018-19 | 16.8% |
2019-20 | 22% |
2020-21 | 17.8% |
2021-22 | 18.4% |
2022-23 | 20.3% |
2023-24 | 20.2% |
Look at those numbers. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you that Hertl's presence in the slot made a major difference. That's why it isn't surprising that the Golden Knights have scored on 31.9% of their power plays since the 31-year-old stepped on the ice.
In fact, he has 15 power play goals since joining Vegas. He broke the single-season record for most power play goals and could return soon. What's more is he's locked in until 2030, keeping that slot presence around for five more seasons. However, he's not the only long-term piece sticking around.
The power play unit has Pavel Dorofeyev thriving with the Golden Knights
The Golden Knights run an umbrella formation on the power play. Three players line up at net level while one stays one outside and another is on the high slot. Part of that stems from Pavel Dorofeyev replacing Marchessault and adding a left-handed shot.
So far, it's worked for the Russian winger because he has 13 power play goals this season. He used his booming shot and shiftiness to create opportunities for himself on the unit. The result has been amazing, anchoring the league's best group. It's almost like Las Vegas has forgotten about a diminutive French-Canadian.
Mind you, he's set to become a restricted free agent after the 2025-26 season. That's the same time Jack Eichel (five goals and 29 assists on the power play) will hit the open market. You can expect both to re-sign for solid deals with their productive seasons. As for the other pieces? Shea Theodore (17 power play assists) just signed a seven-year contract extension, while Mark Stone (five goals and 20 assists on the unit) is sticking around until the 2026-27 season.
The point? Don't expect this season to be a mere mirage. Bruce Cassidy has a formula down to a tee, generating excitement for Las Vegans everywhere. This season will be the best year for the power play in franchise history. That's for certain. However, that group isn't going away any time soon, meaning the gang's going to score plenty of man-advantage goals.