The Vegas Golden Knights failed to defend their 2023 Stanley Cup championship, falling to the Dallas Stars in the first round of the 2024 playoffs and getting sent home early for the summer. To make matters worse, they've lost several key players to free agency following their playoff setback.
Jonathan Marchessault, the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, signed a five-year deal with the Nashville Predators. His departure marks the loss of another original “misfit” who debuted with the team in 2017-18. Chandler Stephenson, who spent the last four years with the Golden Knights and tallied 116 points over the past two seasons, skipped town to sign with the Seattle Kraken.
Depth forwards William Carrier and Anthony Mantha signed with the Carolina Hurricanes and Calgary Flames, respectively. And on the back end, veteran defenseman Alec Martinez joined the rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks. Furthermore, young goaltender Logan Thompson (25 wins in 2023-25) was traded to the Washington Capitals.
The Golden Knights will need to get more out of their current roster if they hope to remain a force in the Western Conference and make another run at the Stanley Cup Final. The silver lining is that the departure of key players opens up prime opportunities for others to step up and fill the void.
Jack Eichel in prime Golden Knights breakout position
Former Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel was acquired by the Golden Knights in a blockbuster 2022 trade and quickly found his place in Sin City. In his first full year with the team, he not only helped lead the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history but was also named an alternate captain.
With the departures of players like Marchessault and Stephenson, the Golden Knights will need to compensate for the lost production. While Eichel recorded a modest 31 goals and 37 assists last season (11 power-play goals), his career shows he's capable of reaching the high 70s to low 80s in total points. He posted a career-high 54 assists with Buffalo in 2018-19 and followed it up with a career-high 36 goals the next season.
Eichel will be counted upon to shoulder more of the offensive load, and he should be fired up for the opportunity. As he has shown, few things motivate him more than proving to the Sabres and their fans that the franchise erred by not surrounding him with more talent. If he can stay healthy, expect him to surpass the 70-point mark in the 2024-25 season.
Ivan Barbashev in line for major Vegas opportunity
Playing in his first full season with the Golden Knights since being acquired via trade from the St. Louis Blues in 2023, Ivan Barbashev routinely found himself playing on both the first and second line. He managed to score 18 goals to go with 26 assists in all 82 regular season games.
Like Eichel, Barbashev now has a bigger opportunity to contribute to the offense with the departure of key players. He recorded a career-best 26 goals and 34 assists for the Blues in 2021-22, and Vegas is hoping he can replicate those numbers in his second season of the five-year contract he signed shortly after helping them win the Stanley Cup in 2023.
Tomas Hertl eyeing 2024 bounce back
Yet another star player acquired by Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon, Hertl was brought aboard from the rival San Jose Sharks at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline and is under contract for six more seasons. Last year, he was limited by having to undergo a procedure in his left knee at the beginning of February but managed four points in the six regular season games he played after making his Vegas debut.
Just one full season removed from tallying 63 points in 79 games with a struggling San Jose team, Tomáš Hertl will be relied upon to help offset the offensive loss from players like Marchessault and Stephenson. He set a career-high with 35 goals and 39 assists in 2018-19 and followed it up with an impressive 15 points in 19 playoff games, including key contributions in San Jose's Round 1 victory over Vegas.
As he indicated shortly after Vegas dropped their Round 1 postseason series against Dallas earlier this spring, he's looking forward to playing a full campaign in 2024-25 and aims to rekindle the magic that made him one of San Jose's top offensive threats, via Julian Gaudio of The Hockey News.
“It was tough for me when we lost it because I know I can help way more than I did during the playoffs,” he said after scoring only one goal during the seven-game series. “I just want to now get fully healthy, stronger, and just be ready for the season. Hopefully, I enjoy all 82 games, full season, and help this team to win.”
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