After meeting expectations the Vegas Golden Knights are golden, and look to remain so as they defend their Stanley Cup championship.
2022-23
Record: 51-22-9 (111 pts) – 1st in Pacific
Playoffs: Won the Stanley Cup
Key Losses
Reilly Smith (F – PIT), Laurent Brossoit (G – WIN), Jonathan Quick (G – NYR), Teddy Blueger (F – VAN), Phil Kessel (F – UFA)
Key Additions
None
2023-24 Preview
The Stanley Cup champions are primed and ready to go for a shot to repeat and I wouldn’t doubt their ability to do so. Vegas has all the key ingredients needed and brought back the majority of those necessary ingredients. This franchise features a front office who knows how to win and go get what’s needed, a fantastic coaching staff with Coach Bruce Cassidy at the helm, a high end forward group that can score but also play well defensively too, a strong defense, and goaltending that can make the necessary teams for a championship team. While losing Reilly Smith via trade to the Penguins does hurt, re-signing Adin Hill who helped backstop this team to a title, and Ivan Barbashev who was a menace in the top six forward group since coming over in a trade are very key for what this team wants to do going forward.
Most of this championship team returns for another run and it wouldn’t surprise me if they get back to the Stanley Cup Finals and potentially win it all again. They key for the teams success like every team’s is to stay healthy and especially their captain Mark Stone. Having Stone in the lineup especially upon return was crucial in their championship run as he provides not just an offensive element, but he provides a very strong defensive forward element that does all the little things right by playing a full 200 foot game out on the ice. His leadership is highly valuable to this team as well considering it feels like having a great encouraging coaching out they’re on the ice as well as on the bench and in the locker room. Vegas has what it takes and are the team to beat and the current favorites to win it all once again.
Read our other 2023-24 Team Previews: ANA, ARI, BOS, BUF, CAL, CAR, CHI, COL, CLB, DAL, DET, EDM, FLA, LA, MIN, MON, NAS, NJ, NYI, NYR, OTT, PHI, PIT, SJ, SEA, STL, TB, TOR, VAN
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