People love reminiscing about the past. They like looking back at simple times, whether it's the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup or when they got Pokémon Yellow for the Game Boy. That also applies to our favorite players and when we lose.
Overall, these are three solid takeaways with valid points. The age of the roster is a major concern, starting with Mark Stone (33), William Karlsson (32), and Alex Pietrangelo (35). The Edmonton Oilers aren't going away, either. That means you're seeing more of Evander Kane's self-indulgence around Las Vegas.
However, one particular thing sticks out from this list: 81. If you don't know who that is, that's Jonathan Marchessault. He's also known as the guy who left Vegas because he didn't like the length of his offered contract.
And who doesn't miss him? He's the franchise leader in numerous categories, including having the most goals (192) and points (417). He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2023 with a masterful 25-point run (13 goals and 12 assists). You probably remember him from him in a conga line with the Stanley Cup and countless kids surrounding him.
However, the outcome wouldn't have nudged a bit with the "Golden Misfit" around. In fact, the age problem would've been amplified further if he had stuck around, especially after a Game 5 loss. Why?
Why having Jonathan Marchessault around wouldn't have made a difference
Obviously, the age factor comes into play. However, there's also the defensive side of things that would've caused problems.
You see, dear reader, Jonathan Marchessault is smaller than I am. That says a lot for a hockey player who relies on a niche role to carry himself throughout a hockey game. Imagine what would've happened if he were caught during a Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl rush.
He also registered 77 hits during his first season with the Nashville Predators, along with 25 blocked shots and 10 takeaways. The "Golden Misfit" isn't much of a forechecker, specifically since being 5'9" and 34 years old limits what you can do physically (believe me, I know). Also, look at this table from 2023-24.
Player in 2023-24 | Points in Games 1-4 | Points in Games 5-7 |
|---|---|---|
Jonathan Marchessault | 4 (2 goals and 2 assists) | 0 |
His playoff showing after the Conn Smythe-winning season was also lackluster. Yes, he might've scored two goals and two assists in the first four games of the first round. But he went without a single point in the last three games against the Dallas Stars.
In fact, his regular season production in 2024-25 saw his goal total sliced in half. He went from 42 goals in 2023-24 to 21 goals the next year. As for Jack Eichel, his former linemate? Well, let's just say he got 28 goals and 94 points.
There were other problems with the Golden Knights this postseason
Let's be honest with ourselves. The Golden Knights weren't exactly prepared for the Stanley Cup playoffs. Yes, they might've won the Pacific Division and secured 110 points. However, only one postseason win was by more than one goal.
In fact, that was also the case last season. The Golden Knights only had two wins by more than a goal. It's not about having a player like Marchessault return as much as it's about getting maximum production from your players.
That includes Tomas Hertl actually being a factor (no points during the Oilers series) and Adin Hill being consistently great (3.15 GAA and a save percentage of .887 this postseason). If these players step up, we'd have a completely different conversation.
It's fun to reminisce about your favorite people and say what would've happened if they were still around. However, this is a different case, where the result would've stayed the same, if not, worse.