Guest Writer: The Golden Knights Can't Afford to Compete at the Olympics

It is Olympics or bust!!!

THe Blackhawks had more in 2010 and 2014 and survived.

THe Blackhawks had more in 2010 and 2014 and survived.
- Abadseed

Same with the Kings in 2014.

Terrible take. Players get a lot more shots at a Stanley Cup than they do at an Olympic Gold. Letting players participate in the Olympics was part of the CBA, and the owners agreeing to it is part of how they avoided a lockout. Foley trying to push players behind the scenes into not participating would likely get Vegas a massive fine and cost them draft picks, you can't try to force players to give up collectively bargained rights just because they are inconvenient.

Terrible take. Players get a lot more shots at a Stanley Cup than they do at an Olympic Gold. Letting players participate in the Olympics was part of the CBA, and the owners agreeing to it is part of how they avoided a lockout. Foley trying to push players behind the scenes into not participating would likely get Vegas a massive fine and cost them draft picks, you can't try to force players to give up collectively bargained rights just because they are inconvenient.
- Antilles

I appreciate you taking time to read my blog! While the CBA lays out an agreement on good faith that NHL players will be allowed to compete in the Olympics, it still hinges on the NHL, NHLPA and IOC coming to an agreement. Which hasn’t been accomplished. That’s why we’re looking at two potential schedules for next season. One including a Olympic break and one without.

Here is a pivotal sentence included in the current CBA regarding Olympic participation:

subject to negotiation of terms acceptable to each of the NHL, NHLPA, and IIHF (and/or IOC)."

So, while you’re right in the aspect that the CBA guarantees participation, it’s really still up to the owners because they can turn down the IOC if they don’t think an agreement is in their best interests.

That aside, this piece is more about the personal choice. The Knights were completely burned out last year against Montreal. Stone, Pacioretty, Pietrangelo etc. owe it to the rest of the guys in the room to evaluate whether they have enough gas in the tank at their age and with the roster’s overall mileage from four straight playoffs runs for them to add the Olympics on to the upcoming playoff run. My stance is that it’s a very tough decision, but they shouldn’t for the good of the team.

My team is too good, wah wah wah! #crybaby

Check every roster in the league. Pretty much every single team would have their 3 best fwds top 1 or 2 dmen and half the leagues starting goalies.

Vegas didn't get tired last year. They got beat because they were outplayed. They only played 50 some reg season games. It was not a very grueling schedule.

That aside, this piece is more about the personal choice. The Knights were completely burned out last year against Montreal. Stone, Pacioretty, Pietrangelo etc. owe it to the rest of the guys in the room to evaluate whether they have enough gas in the tank at their age and with the roster’s overall mileage from four straight playoffs runs for them to add the Olympics on to the upcoming playoff run. My stance is that it’s a very tough decision, but they shouldn’t for the good of the team.
- Trevor Neufeld

It doesn't matter what the stars on this team want to do with respect to the Olympics. VGK has a poorly constructed roster and a coach who has no idea how to make it work.

This is a bunch of garbage. They played half a season, and got lucky to even get to the 3rd round. Their centres are garbage and until they figure that out, they're not winning anything. How can I say that? Because Suzuki, Kotkaniemi, and a Danault, a guy who literally never scores, completely caved them in down the middle. They weren't "worn out". They don't have the roster, and they only got worse this offseason.

It doesn't matter what the stars on this team want to do with respect to the Olympics. VGK has a poorly constructed roster and a coach who has no idea how to make it work.
- Only_A_Ladd

You know what? Every year I tend to think this. Their roster is so unorthodox. Who stacks their cap space on the wings and holds out hope that bargain bin centers can keep up? I definitely plan on writing about this in an upcoming piece.

I went in to this season thinking “OK. Even Stastny is gone now. With this center group they’ll be done in the first round at best.”

Then they go and beat the Avs, who I’m sure most people agree should be the best Western Conference team, after an absolute war with the Minnesota Wild. A rested Avs team coming off a sweep of the Blues. It’s hard to say they’re poorly built when they got so deep this year. I still want agree that they’re poorly built, but the results speak for themselves.

You know what? Every year I tend to think this. Their roster is so unorthodox. Who stacks their cap space on the wings and holds out hope that bargain bin centers can keep up? I definitely plan on writing about this in an upcoming piece.

I went in to this season thinking “OK. Even Stastny is gone now. With this center group they’ll be done in the first round at best.”

Then they go and beat the Avs, who I’m sure most people agree should be the best Western Conference team, after an absolute war with the Minnesota Wild. A rested Avs team coming off a sweep of the Blues. It’s hard to say they’re poorly built when they got so deep this year. I still want agree that they’re poorly built, but the results speak for themselves.
- Trevor Neufeld

The results do speak for themselves: two straight playoff defeats to lesser rosters because both Dallas and the Habs controlled the middle. DeBoer had no answer on offense in either series other that his defenseman shooting from distance and the wings crashing the net. And what was the answer this offseason? Trade for Dadonov, another winger, sign an aged AMart, and trade for a young, unproven center with a history of head injuries in Patrick.

Might Krebs be the solution? Sure. Might a trade go down for a capable center? Sure. But as it stands, GMKM did not address the major issue the team has and he merely added more cap burden.

It is all very strange.

You know what? Every year I tend to think this. Their roster is so unorthodox. Who stacks their cap space on the wings and holds out hope that bargain bin centers can keep up? I definitely plan on writing about this in an upcoming piece.

I went in to this season thinking “OK. Even Stastny is gone now. With this center group they’ll be done in the first round at best.”

Then they go and beat the Avs, who I’m sure most people agree should be the best Western Conference team, after an absolute war with the Minnesota Wild. A rested Avs team coming off a sweep of the Blues. It’s hard to say they’re poorly built when they got so deep this year. I still want agree that they’re poorly built, but the results speak for themselves.
- Trevor Neufeld

Don't get me wrong: my team's had no playoff series win since 2014, so getting to the Western Conference finals two years in a row would be great. But that's not the goal with VGK and, most importantly, Bill Foley.

Don't get me wrong: my team's had no playoff series win since 2014, so getting to the Western Conference finals two years in a row would be great. But that's not the goal with VGK and, most importantly, Bill Foley.
- Only_A_Ladd

Likewise. I would give anything to see the team I grew up cheering for have even one post-season like the Golden Knights have had. First round elimination by the Sharks aside.

That aside, this piece is more about the personal choice.

Ask the players. Guaranteed 99% want to play in the Olympics.

Booooo.
It's a business and the temptress China is calling. Sell a dollar profit to half the country and you make a billion. It makes the players happy.

Otherwise the Olympics as a whole is nothing I watch nor care about.

But the gqmes are most exciting.

Winning a Cup is never easy. Ive seem of my teams full of talent get bounced in one round or make it to three and wilt and one year I think probably not but it's a good showing so far and the win it.

They do, I’ve asked them.

Why would the kraken care to hep out Vegas?

Maybe a goalie is gonna head to the olympics but the rest of the grinding roster is gonna stay home and rest up.

I don’t think that the VGK are the lone team risking a lot.

Taking a (Leafs) summary of the locks that is:

#1C - Matthews
#2C - Tavares
#1R - Marner
#2R - Nylander
#1 D - Rielly (maybe)
#1G - Campbell (maybe)
#1G - Mrazek