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From the time the Vegas Golden Knights entered the NHL as the league's 31st franchise, the team hasn't been shy about making moves. Their willingness to take risks to improve has led them to the playoffs in each of their first four seasons so far, with three of those being deep playoff runs, and now in their fifth season, Vegas may be better than ever.
The Golden Knights began making big moves as soon as they were possibly able to, weaponizing the 2017 Expansion Draft to stockpile draft picks and prospects. While building for the future was certainly a focus, the unexpected success in their inaugural season led Vegas to alter their direction in a way. Let's take a look at how the Golden Knights built the roster they have today.
As early as the trade deadline of their first season, the Golden Knights were willing to trade a first-round pick, second-round pick and third-round pick to acquire Tomas Tatar from the Detroit Red Wings. Did it work out? No – but it set the stage for their willingness to take risks.
This led into the Pacioretty trade. Following their unexpected trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Golden Knights didn't stand pat, making a move to acquire Montreal Canadiens' captain Max Pacioretty. The Golden Knights were willing to part with Nick Suzuki, who they had drafted 13th overall a year earlier, along with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick. So considering what they had just given up for Tatar, they essentially moved two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a third-round pick to get the forward.
Then once again, they made a huge splash at the deadline later that year, adding Mark Stone from the Ottawa Senators. They gave up more future assets in order to do so, moving Erik Brannstrom, taken 15th overall in 2017, along with a second-round pick in the trade.
One year later in 2020, the Golden Knights added defenseman Alec Martinez from the Los Angeles Kings at the trade deadline. It was no small price either, giving up two second-round picks for the two-time Stanley Cup winner. They weren't done there either, acquiring Robin Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks as well, moving yet another second-round pick in the process.
The Golden Knights then made their first significant splash in free agency in 2020, signing the biggest name of the offseason, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, to a seven-year contract. In order to make the move, they were willing to deal Nate Schmidt to the Vancouver Canucks, who had been a key piece of their defense group and an original member of the team, for just a third-round pick in order to clear cap space.
Schmidt was just one example of that as well – Vegas hasn't been afraid to move out key assets when they needed the space, trading the likes of Paul Stastny, Marc-Andre Fleury, Ryan Reaves, Colin Miller, Erik Haula, Nikita Gusev.
Then obviously, the Jack Eichel trade is the franchise's recent blockbuster and perhaps the Golden Knights' biggest move altogether. After back-to-back exits in the third round, the most notable area the team needed to improve was adding a legitimate first-line center. Once again, Vegas didn't hesitate and now, they're better than ever on paper.
Even some of their less significant moves, in taking a chance on Evgeni Dadonov, swapping Cody Glass for Nolan Patrick, giving up multiple picks for Mattias Janmark and adding Chandler Stephenson show that the team will continue to be aggressive in building the best team possible.
In not even five years as an organization, the Golden Knights have made more high-profile deals than many other teams have made in well over a decade. Now, look at how those players acquired have played a role in their success.
Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone are the only players on the team averaging a point per game, while Alex Pietrangelo is the team's No. 1 defenseman, logging by far the most minutes per game of any player on the team. Robin Lehner is the Vegas' top netminder, having started 34 games this year before being injured and with Jack Eichel having recently returned, we can expect him to be one of the team's top offensive threats, if not the team's best forward altogether.
Essentially, the Golden Knights have added their top three forwards, top defenseman and starting goalie through trades and free agency, all in roughly three and a half years, along with several other key pieces like Alec Martinez and Mattias Janmark. While some original members of the team in William Carrier, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Brayden McNabb, Reilly Smith and Shea Theodore remain on the roster, the reality is that the team has been built via major acquisitions. Just looking at their draft history through five years as well, the only Golden Knights draft pick who's actually taken a regular spot in the team's lineup is defenseman Nicolas Hague.
Often times, teams take time to stand pat rather than going out and aggressively pursuing pieces that will give them a better chance to compete. Other teams may remain committed to certain players rather than seeking out replacements who could provide more value.
However, the Golden Knights haven't shied away from big moves and it's a key reason they've been a highly competitive team since they entered the league. Now with their latest addition in Jack Eichel, Vegas seems poised for another deep playoff run.
