Things leaned their way but it was also what the NHL wanted from being first Pro league in Vegas expansion. They got the golden run to SCF in first season and now a Cup powerhouse.

Hey the Pacific has a Cup winner aren’t the Canucks so lucky to be in it lol.
- Quinn's Quest

Woohoo... we have a Cup winner in our division, at least it's not Edmonton or (God help us) Calgary. LA, SJ and Anaheim are years away and the Canucks... well uh, next decade or so maybe?

Cool, we could use about 10
- A_SteamingLombardi

Someone needs to hold Aquilini’s berry farm hostage and force him to buy out all Benning’s bad contracts.

Cool, we could use about 10
- A_SteamingLombardi

The entire d core and the 3rd and 4th line? Can we buyout the owner?

OUCH!!


“Fractured Sternum for Matthew Tkachuk I’m told…Brother Brady had to help him out of bed after pregame nap for Game 4.”

Ben Hutton is a Stanley Cup Champion.

Jack Eichel….Stanley Cup Champion and Conn Smythe trophy winner, suck it wee Reuby.
- LeftCoaster

So is Ben Htton!

Ben Hutton is a Stanley Cup Champion.


- LeftCoaster

Come playoff time, you need size.

-Jonathan Marchessault

Jack Eichel….Stanley Cup Champion and Conn Smythe trophy winner, suck it wee Reuby.
- LeftCoaster

He didnt win smythe buddy, you overlooked the small guy holding it in front of Eichel

He didnt win smythe buddy, you overlooked the small guy holding it in front of Eichel
- neem55

No, because they thought the story of a player overlooked by the team that lost for another player that they eventually traded to Arizona of all teams and was an original member of the team was better than giving it to Eichel for his redemption arc that he completed.

Come playoff time, you need size.

-Jonathan Marchessault
- neem55

Biggest D in history? Jonathan is a smart guy

Just read 9 to 3 ass kicking. I seen some of the other scores, sounds like the series was not even close.

Just read 9 to 3 ass kicking. I seen some of the other scores, sounds like the series was not even close.
- VANTEL

It was not. The Panthers were broken by the time this series ended and Bob couldn't keep performing miracles. The deeper team won with a non-name goalie who could have easily won the Conn Smythe.

It was not. The Panthers were broken by the time this series ended and Bob couldn't keep performing miracles. The deeper team won with a non-name goalie who could have easily won the Conn Smythe.
- micah555

As much as some hate Vegas seeing they have been to the finals twice in six years, I am sort of a fan of what they have done.

I really believe in the tear down start over mode when your team is not even close.

Ben Hutton is a Stanley Cup Champion.


- LeftCoaster

I came here to post this

It was not. The Panthers were broken by the time this series ended and Bob couldn't keep performing miracles. The deeper team won with a non-name goalie who could have easily won the Conn Smythe.
- micah555

The list of Ekblad injuries is insane not to mention Tkachuk playing with a broken sternum

Always great to see a Hronek comparable, Zach Whitecloud, winning a Cup, as a 5th defenseman, for a team loaded with midgets and Euros/Americans,


Waits for Nieem and Mini to explain how the MVP was a sub 6 foot player


Oh crap, already too late, Nemer is all over it.

It was not. The Panthers were broken by the time this series ended and Bob couldn't keep performing miracles. The deeper team won with a non-name goalie who could have easily won the Conn Smythe.
- micah555

Yup. Healthy team always wins. Plus well Panthers ran out of luck. VGK bigger team huge defense was punishing on hits.

This series was not close and now the powerhouse conference seems to be the West winning the Cup again. Running theme. Bigger and deeper.

Jack Eichel….Stanley Cup Champion and Conn Smythe trophy winner, suck it wee Reuby.
- LeftCoaster

Not only is Ruby sucking it over the Bruins and Eichel winning a cup but VHG is sucking It over the smallest player in the finals winning Conn Smythe.

Always great to see a Hronek comparable, Zach Whitecloud, winning a Cup, as a 5th defenseman, for a team loaded with midgets and Euros/Americans,


Waits for Nieem and Mini to explain how the MVP was a sub 6 foot player


Oh crap, already too late, Nemer is all over it.
- Reubenkincade

Please tell us more about the mighty Bruins.

Great article on ESPN's website this morning about how the Vegas Golden Knight's exploited the other NHL General Managers and the newer expansion rules.


"After Foley paid $500 million for entry, the NHL changed its expansion draft rules to make Vegas competitive off the hop: The Knights could draft the eighth-best forward, fourth-best defenseman or second-best goalie from each team."

"They were ruthless and prepared," one NHL source recalled.

"The expansion draft was a moment of temporary insanity for many NHL general managers, and the Golden Knights exploited it. Consider the how the following players -- now Stanley Cup champions -- ended up in Vegas:

The Anaheim Ducks had to expose defensemen Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen. To entice Vegas to ignore them and select defenseman Clayton Stoner, the Ducks traded 21-year-old defenseman Shea Theodore to the Knights. He was second on the team in average ice time this postseason.

The Buffalo Sabres traded a sixth-round pick to Vegas so they'd select William Carrier in the draft instead of goalie prospect Linus Ullmark. Carrier was the key component of the Knights' bruising checking line this postseason.

The Los Angeles Kings dangled veteran forwards Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik in front of McPhee. Instead, he selected 26-year-old Brayden McNabb, who appeared in all but one playoff game in 2023.

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded their 2017 first-round pick and center William Karlsson to the Knights so they'd take David Clarkson's contract instead of either forward Josh Anderson or goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Karlsson was one of the most valuable players in this Cup run.

Finally, the Florida Panthers, in one of the most mind-boggling moves in NHL history, traded forward Reilly Smith to the Knights so Vegas would select 30-goal scorer Jonathan Marchessault in the draft; in turn, the Panthers could keep defensemen Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic. GM Dale Tallon said at the time that "you win championships with defense." Turns out you also win them with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith."

Great article on ESPN's website this morning about how the Vegas Golden Knight's exploited the other NHL General Managers and the newer expansion rules.


"After Foley paid $500 million for entry, the NHL changed its expansion draft rules to make Vegas competitive off the hop: The Knights could draft the eighth-best forward, fourth-best defenseman or second-best goalie from each team."

"They were ruthless and prepared," one NHL source recalled.

"The expansion draft was a moment of temporary insanity for many NHL general managers, and the Golden Knights exploited it. Consider the how the following players -- now Stanley Cup champions -- ended up in Vegas:

The Anaheim Ducks had to expose defensemen Josh Manson and Sami Vatanen. To entice Vegas to ignore them and select defenseman Clayton Stoner, the Ducks traded 21-year-old defenseman Shea Theodore to the Knights. He was second on the team in average ice time this postseason.

The Buffalo Sabres traded a sixth-round pick to Vegas so they'd select William Carrier in the draft instead of goalie prospect Linus Ullmark. Carrier was the key component of the Knights' bruising checking line this postseason.

The Los Angeles Kings dangled veteran forwards Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik in front of McPhee. Instead, he selected 26-year-old Brayden McNabb, who appeared in all but one playoff game in 2023.

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded their 2017 first-round pick and center William Karlsson to the Knights so they'd take David Clarkson's contract instead of either forward Josh Anderson or goaltender Joonas Korpisalo. Karlsson was one of the most valuable players in this Cup run.

Finally, the Florida Panthers, in one of the most mind-boggling moves in NHL history, traded forward Reilly Smith to the Knights so Vegas would select 30-goal scorer Jonathan Marchessault in the draft; in turn, the Panthers could keep defensemen Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic. GM Dale Tallon said at the time that "you win championships with defense." Turns out you also win them with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith."


- LeftCoaster

The expansion rules helped Vegas/Seattle more than past expansion teams... but the stupidity of other teams GMs really pushed Vegas over the edge. If they just let them pick players like teams did with Seattle there's no way they would have a cup.

Thank god Benning was such a genius he left them with nothing but pizza scraps to choose from

The expansion rules helped Vegas/Seattle more than past expansion teams... but the stupidity of other teams GMs really pushed Vegas over the edge. If they just let them pick players like teams did with Seattle there's no way they would have a cup.

Thank god Benning was such a genius he left them with nothing but pizza scraps to choose from
- NewYorkNuck

LOL....when you don't really have anything to protect it's easy because they had nothing to pick.

McCrimmon, who had been elevated to Vegas general manager in 2019 while McPhee stepped up to a team president role, said he and the Knights management decided that landing a top-pairing defenseman was a priority while watching them fall short in the bubble.

"When you looked at the teams that were winning, we felt we needed a No. 1 defenseman. Like a Victor Hedman. Like an Alex Pietrangelo," he said. "To be a Stanley Cup-contending team, we had to be better there. So we were in aggressive in free agency."

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The Canucks need to concentrate on building a bigger, better, more mobile defense!!

Cap space.....


"Take their salary cap situation. Larry Brooks of the New York Post recently argued that the "greatest weapon" the Golden Knights and the Seattle Kraken were awarded upon entry into the NHL weren't the liberal expansion rules, but their pristine salary cap space.

"If right now teams could renounce their rosters in exchange for $83.5M in cap space entering this offseason, how many do you think would stand pat with current personnel and how many would opt to begin again?" Brooks wrote."