The Vegas Golden Knights burst onto the National Hockey League scene as an expansion team for the 2017-18 season. Despite low expectations, they shocked everyone by having a stellar regular season and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural campaign.
The team also put the entire city of Las Vegas on their backs and aided in the healing process in the wake of the horrific 2017 mass shooting at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival which claimed 60 lives less than a week before they began play. The Golden Knights have since only missed the postseason on one occasion in their seven seasons, winning the Stanley Cup last spring.
In recent years, Vegas has developed a reputation for their ruthless business approach toward fan-favorite star players, treating no one as untouchable. Additionally, they've drawn the ire of fans and opposing teams alike for their creative and controversial maneuvering around the salary cap, which many see as playing fast and loose with the rules.
1) 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault
Arguably the most consistent performer in the relatively short history of the Golden Knights, Marchessault was a diamond in the rough that Vegas unearthed during the 2017 Expansion Draft from the Florida Panthers. He quickly made an impact in Vegas' inaugural season and became one of their most consistent performers in both the regular season and postseason.
In Vegas' 2023 Stanley Cup run, Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP with 13 goals and 25 points. In what would be his final season in Sin City, he scored a career-best 42 goals.
2)“Wild Bill” William Karlsson
Another overlooked player who found a home in Vegas, Karlsson enjoyed a career year in the inaugural Golden Knights' season with 43 goals, helping them to the Stanley Cup Final. While his offensive production has dipped in subsequent campaigns, he's been a mainstay in the Vegas lineup and will forever be known as one of the original “misfits”.
3) Captain Mark Stone
Traded from a difficult situation with the Ottawa Senators in 2019, Mark Stone immediately signed a hefty extension with the Golden Knights and eventually became the franchise's first team captain. He has produced at nearly a point-per-game pace for most of his time in Vegas and was the first player to lift the Stanley Cup. He solidified his legend in Vegas thanks to a hat trick performance in the Cup-clinching Game 5 last year against the Panthers.
4) Loveable goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury
Not only was Marc-André Fleury the first official player in Vegas history, but he also instantly became a fan favorite thanks to his stellar goaltending and infectious personality. Always one of the most popular players in the dressing room, Fleury was beloved by his teammates and the new city. He led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season and remained a mainstay until his surprising departure via trade in 2021.
5) Original misfit Reilly Smith
Already a journeyman by the time the Golden Knights selected him in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Smith would find a home in his new city and instantly became one of the most consistent and productive players for the franchise. Smith played a key role in the 2023 Stanley Cup championship, and despite playing elsewhere now, Vegas fans will always look back fondly on his time with the team.
6) Steady defenseman Shea Theodore
Another of the original “misfits” who debuted in Vegas in 2017, Shea Theodore has been a steady presence on the Golden Knights' blue line, routinely matching up against the opposition's top players.
7) Rejuvenated Jack Eichel
Speaking of being traded from a difficult situation, former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel was sent to Vegas in a blockbuster trade in November 2021, which included original “misfit” Alex Tuch. Frustrated with his situation in Buffalo, Eichel found new life in Vegas and, in his second year with the team, helped lead them to the Stanley Cup.
8) Former Habs captain Max Pacioretty
While he's no longer playing in Vegas, Pacioretty was one of the top performers during his four seasons with the Golden Knights, scoring 92 total goals; his 194 total points with the team rank 7th in team history.
9) Veteran leader Alex Pietrangelo
Already a Stanley Cup-winning defenseman with the St. Louis Blues in 2019, Pietrangelo became one of the most talented defensemen in Vegas history when he signed a seven-year deal with the franchise in 2020. He'd help lead Vegas to their first-ever Stanley Cup win in 2023 and routinely plays top minutes.
10) Cup-winning goaltender Adin Hill
Though his time with Vegas has been relatively short, Adin Hill will forever be remembered as the goaltender who backstopped the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup last year. He parlayed his success into a contract extension, and with Logan Thompson's departure, Hill is once again the main man in the Vegas crease.
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