Eklund: Who Are The Vegas Golden Knights and Are They In Trouble?

a one time feel good story, now gonna be a basement dwellers.

Have fun Eichel....

Eklund: Who Are The Vegas Golden Knights and Are They In Trouble?
- Eklund

Not in trouble but they didn’t do themselves any favours with the Eichel trade. It was unnecessary and hurt the team in countless ways. That’s what happens when the owners get involved in hockey ops.

The Eichel trade looks great for the Sabres now. Tuch, Krebs , Noah Ostlund @ #16, & 2023 2nd Rounder.

Eichel is a team killer. Very salty and difficult dude. Vegas stuck w him now! He can go on Spittin Chiclets and talk about Golf & Music every year while the 16 playoff teams play! Maybe f he got traded back to Boston he would cry less?

I feel like everything in Vegas is like that. You're either on top of the world winning jackpots, or you're getting a second mortgage on your house to stave off a loan shark. Feast or famine. I predict they'll be utterly terrible until their luck turns over night and they're once again on top of the world. Like everyone in Vegas the only thing to do while they wait is drink, gamble, womanize, and catch the occasional Celine Dion show.

lCeline Dion show.
- WayneZ

Phaneuf to Vegas confirmed

The Golden Showers suck. I’ll enjoy watching Bettman’s darlings crash and burn and T-Mobile Arena will become BB&T Center West. Dominated by opposing fans

Would like to hear more about Marc-Andre Fleury's spiritual advisor role. Is it like a new-age thing?

Phaneuf to Vegas confirmed
- ChonDerry

Early Phaneuf was an absolute beast.
Was never the same after being crucified in Toronto.

The Golden Showers suck. I’ll enjoy watching Bettman’s darlings crash and burn and T-Mobile Arena will become BB&T Center West. Dominated by opposing fans
- BringNYIhome

Still with the tears.

Awesome!

Owner needs to let the GM do his Gm'n. Fleury, Dadanov, Patches, Coghlan are moves they were forced into making because of the orgs compulsiveness. They will probably have to do a for 'future considerations' type trade next year too but after that, should be better cap wise for them. They need to lay low and just play and make draft picks...and unplug the phone again during next years free agency.

The owner's desire to win now really has put the team in a bind. To think, they could have just kept Nick Suzuki and basically been in a much stronger position going forward. Pretty poor asset management.

The Eichel trade looks great for the Sabres now. Tuch, Krebs , Noah Ostlund @ #16, & 2023 2nd Rounder.

Eichel is a team killer. Very salty and difficult dude. Vegas stuck w him now! He can go on Spittin Chiclets and talk about Golf & Music every year while the 16 playoff teams play! Maybe f he got traded back to Boston he would cry less?


- DanielEtvs

Don't the sabres have the longest playoff drought in all sports? 11+ seasons

Currently the knights have a better chance at the playoffs and you have to be in to win

I also think the initial success being attributed to this band of misfits is something totally overblown. The media loved that narrative and they all ran with it, glorifying the entire thing. Very few did any meaningful analysis and just kept running with this myth. Here is a more objective take:

1) Most GMs approached the expansion draft very poorly, making awful side deals that Vegas exploited. Most teams would have been better off just letting Vegas select whoever was available. As a result, Vegas started off with far more talent than the media appreciate. MAF at the time was a legit #1 goalie. Guys like Marchessault, Perron, Neal, Smith were legit top 6 forwards. Not top line. But respectable 2nd line players that were elevated into a role where they got more ice time, #1 PP time. These weren't AHL journeymen catching lightning in a bottle for 82 games.

2) Most teams underestimated Vegas, especially early on. It was supposed to be an easy 2 points. Numerous stories of visiting teams coming in the night before and partying in Vegas. They went 29-10-2 at home against many opponents who were likely tired and hungover.

3) Vegas also played in a very weak Pacific division that year. Arizona, Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary were all terrible that year. Vegas feasted on them but was less impressive versus other divisions.

By year 2, opponents were forced to take them more seriously. Late night Vegas parties ceased. The regression by year 2 and 3 was already significant.

But the misfit story sounds better...

Yep, it’s the same reason the Leafs will never get past the first round, not with Dubas hitting the same repeat button.

Really good storyline, well presented.

In the NBA the team with the best combination of superstars likely wins the final.

The NBA is a star system.

In the NHL, the best team wins. The best players often do not go deep in the playoffs. Vegas had a good team. But they wanted stars and now they are paying the price.

“Don't the sabres have the longest playoff drought in all sports? 11+ seasons”

Definitely not the longest in all of sports. The Seattle Mariners haven’t made the playoffs since 2001.

Would like to hear more about Marc-Andre Fleury's spiritual advisor role. Is it like a new-age thing?
- Cooleus

You could have something there with MAF and New Age. Well circulated New Age quote, “Minds are like flowers.They only open when the time is right.”

Don't the sabres have the longest playoff drought in all sports? 11+ seasons

Currently the knights have a better chance at the playoffs and you have to be in to win
- dmarsden2988

LOL Vegas didnt make the playoffs LAST year, the year of the trade. Ek's post is about Vegas. They made the EIchel deal and funked themselves! The Sbares have been a poopshow forever, but they sure as hell won the Eichel trade lol

I have been saying it for a long time Spending money does not always work out In fact rarely does it You get caught up in spending and not performing up to it.
I wish they would put a cap on the salaries and make the GM's actually work.
As always in life and government Throw some money at it and all problems will be solved. That is exactly the problem with the NHL management Make the players more money without getting your money's worth. I am sick of all the spoiled players and their big wallets When is it enough .................NEVER. I could care less about teams struggling because most GM's are just plain STUPID

The Eichel trade looks great for the Sabres now. Tuch, Krebs , Noah Ostlund @ #16, & 2023 2nd Rounder.

Eichel is a team killer. Very salty and difficult dude. Vegas stuck w him now! He can go on Spittin Chiclets and talk about Golf & Music every year while the 16 playoff teams play! Maybe f he got traded back to Boston he would cry less?


- DanielEtvs

And he is laughing all the way to the bank spending his money that the idiot fans are paying for overpriced tickets. Make all the players billionaires with money paid by fans who do not realize how bad the players are in the Greed category.

Bill Foley is the Jerry Jones of the NHL!!!

the golden showers chance to win was 3-4 years ago now welcome back to reality and WITF would trade for Eichel?

BUF wins a CUP before VGK!

Really good storyline, well presented.

In the NBA the team with the best combination of superstars likely wins the final.

The NBA is a star system.

In the NHL, the best team wins. The best players often do not go deep in the playoffs. Vegas had a good team. But they wanted stars and now they are paying the price.
- spatso

The margin for error in hockey is so thin. You can't fill a roster out with too many near-replacement level guys who see ice time in the playoffs. The decision to ice scrubs exposes the team to breakdowns and, if those guys are sat in crunch time and can't be relied upon, it only increases the workload of capable players which shortens shifts and decreases their effectiveness.

Right on target Eck, And I. see it from the inside. This team will be battling for a wild card IMO

Eichel is the kind of person I dont want on my team. Yes, he has great skill and ability but he's a toxic teammate and Id rather be on a team with less skilled guys that are good people than a pompous a$$