After they hoisted the Stanley Cup last season, the Vegas Golden Knights were immediately a favorite to repeat for many experts. They finished third in the Pacific and now have a first-round matchup against the Dallas Stars. After some depth additions at the trade deadline, the question is: can the Vegas Golden Knights be this decade’s team to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions?
Are The Vegas Golden Knights Good Enough To Win Stanley Cup
During the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights suffered several injuries to key players. Defensemen Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, Zach Whitecloud, and Alex Pietrangelo have all missed over ten games along the blue line this season. Meanwhile, the forward group saw injuries to Nicolas Roy, Jack Eichel, William Carrier, William Karlsson, and, of course, Mark Stone.
These injuries caused General Manager Kelly McCrimmon to make some deals at the deadline, bringing in Anthony Mantha, Tomas Hertl, and Noah Hanifin. Shortly before the playoffs, Hertl returned to the lineup after having knee surgery while still in San Jose, and Mark Stone started skating again during his recovery from a ruptured spleen. Fully healthy, the Golden Knights are one of the deepest teams in the playoffs.
Who Can Take Home Conn Smythe
The Vegas Golden Knights roster is so deep with scorers and top-level defensemen that almost anyone could take home the Conn Smythe should they repeat as champions. Jonathan Marchessault took home the hardware last season, but he will have heavy competition from Jack Eichel and Mark Stone in the forward group.
Goaltender Adin Hill will likely fly under the radar, but if he splits time with Logan Thompson, his odds decrease significantly. Meanwhile, William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl will see some favorable matchups and be able to put themselves in the mix in the forward group by the time the finals come around. Defensively, the minutes will be distributed so that no one along the blue line will likely be able to make a case for themselves.
Vegas Golden Knights Path To Stanely Cup Repeat
The Golden Knights will have a very difficult time on their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions. Their first-round matchup is with the Dallas Stars, who many analysts picked to win the Stanley Cup coming into the season. Should they make it through the Dallas Stars, they will need to get through two other teams in the Western Conference.
Since they finished in the second Wild Card position, the Golden Knights will not have a home-ice advantage in any series, no matter who they have to play. Kelly McCrimmon’s aggressiveness to bolster his roster despite high-end players being on Long-Term Injured Reserve has many fans calling him out for “cap circumvention” and thus rooting against Vegas to repeat. With elite players such as William Karlsson and Tomas Hertl potentially being on the third line and the addition of Noah Hanifin to the defense, the Vegas Golden Knights will push to repeat.
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