After acquiring forward Anthony Mantha from the Washington Capitals and star defenseman Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights are slowly but surely showing the NHL that they are hungry for back-to-back championships.
Vegas Golden Knights: Good as Gold
The 2022-2023 season was everything the Vegas Golden Knights could have asked for. Their newly acquired star forward Jack Eichel led the way for 66 points in 67 games, they finished with their best record in franchise history with 51 wins and 111 points, and a dominating playoff run with only six losses in the club’s 22 games resulted in the Knights securing their first ever Stanley Cup championship only six years into their franchise.
The 2023-2024 season started off with a bang for the Knights. Resigning key players like goaltender Adin Hill and trade deadline acquisition Ivan Barbashev, the Knights exploded for 11 wins in the team’s first 12 games scoring four or more goals in eight of those 12 games.
Recent Struggles:
Losing their captain, Mark Stone, to the LTIR with an upper-body injury has hurt this team as of late. After being in a top-three spot in the Pacific division from October through February, a recent cold stretch has knocked the Knights into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. With a record of 4-7-1 since Feb. 6th, general manager Kelly McCrimmon has brought in some new faces to try and reignite the team’s fire.
New Faces For Vegas:
Forward Anthony Mantha was acquired from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2024 2nd-round pick and a 2026 4th-round pick. Mantha has been playing very well for the Capitals this year notching 20 goals and 34 points in 56 games so far. Also, his 20 goals are his most since the 2018-2019 season. His 6’5″ frame and elite shot can be a big addition for the Knights down the stretch and into the playoffs.
To bolster the d-line, McCrimmon traded for former 5th overall pick Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Daniil Miromanov and Vegas’ 2025 1st and 3rd round picks. Hanifin, 27, has had a solid season so far with the Flames with 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 61 games. Plus, Hanifin’s 11 goals are his most in a season in his nine-year career.
So, looking outside of Vegas’ recent struggles this team has everything it needs to repeat as cup champs this year. Their best player, Jack Eichel, just returned from his long injury, the back end just got a lot better with two-way defenseman Hanifin, 11 of their next 20 games are against non-playoff teams, and McCrimmon is still looking to buy at the trade deadline.
With the two big trades McCrimmon has already made and activating Jack Eichel off of the LTIR, expect the Knights to regain a top-three spot in the Pacific division toward the end of the year. Also, don’t be surprised if McCrimmon has some more tricks up his sleeve when the trade deadline comes on March 8th.