The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the NHL's most competitive franchises. But in TheHockeyNews' new series ranking the off-seasons of every team in the league, they rank 24th. How did the Golden Knights land this low on the list?
At this point last year, the Vegas Golden Knights were the talk of the NHL.
They acquired the most prominent free agent in former Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner, leading to a remarkable run to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Vegas made a few noteworthy changes since then, but they now have to battle the Edmonton Oilers, L.A. Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks in the increasingly-improving Pacific Division, and there hasn't been enough from the Golden Knights to suggest they'll be in a similar position to compete for a Stanley Cup this year.
There’s still time to make improvements, but the clock is ticking on Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon to make more with his roster than he’s done thus far this summer.
Let's explore the Golden Knights' off-season and discuss why they ended up at this position in the rankings.
Arrivals:
Ryan Craig (Head Coach), Victor Olofsson (LW)
McCrimmon is one of the league’s most accomplished and driven executives, but that doesn’t mean he had a strong summer.
Parting ways with John Tortorella and picking Ryan Craig, Vegas’ third coach in four years, speaks to McCrimmon’s cold-blooded approach to running a team. Craig is immediately under the gun to guide Vegas not only to a strong regular-season finish, but to a championship.
The only roster addition McCrimmon made was the repatriation of veteran winger Victor Olofsson to provide a smidgen of help at forward.
He also signed blueliner Rasmus Andersson to a seven-year contract extension worth $8.5-million per season, but that deal was necessary after paying a hefty price to acquire him from the Calgary Flames.
Otherwise, what you saw with Vegas’ roster last season is largely what you’ll see in 2026-27. The Golden Knights now have only three draft picks in the top two rounds over the next three years, so McCrimmon can’t just go out wildly and make major additions like year's past.
Unless there’s unexpected internal improvement, Vegas will have a tough time reaching the same heights they did this past season.
Departures:
Pavel Dorofeyev (LW), Keegan Kolesar (RW), Akira Schmid (G), Kaedan Korczak (D), John Tortorella (Interim Head Coach)
Losing Pavel Dorofeyev, who led the team in goals over the last two seasons, is a significant blow to a Golden Knights group that finished 14th in total goals in 2025-26. Additionally, Vegas stripped away some of its depth with the trades for Keegan Kolesar and Kaeden Korczak.
Akira Schmid was given the opportunity to grab Vegas’ starting role, but that lasted 39 games over two seasons before McCrimmon traded him to the Florida Panthers this summer.
The Golden Knights clearly settled on Carter Hart and Adin Hill as their tandem, but Hart is signed only through the 2026-27 campaign, so there could be more change coming in the goaltending department.
Hill has a massive contract that lasts another five seasons, but unless Vegas’ defense improves they’re going to have a tough time replicating their run to the Cup final last season.
Things can change on a dime in Nevada, and that’s the double-edged sword the Golden Knights are now dealing with. If McCrimmon trades more players, no one should be shocked.
The Bottom Line:
While the Golden Knights are still a good bet to be a playoff team next season, there’s a net-deficit for this Knights team this summer.
Considering they have no salary cap space left, we’re looking at a Golden Knights team that will have to work harder to get to the same place next season, let alone to win their second championship.
Parting ways with Dorofeyev definitely hurts, but Vegas’ top-six group of forwards is still very talented and experienced. The Knights’ defensive core is also better than many, if not most groups of blueliners.
However, the overwhelming feeling here is that the Golden Knights aren’t quite as imposing as they were last season.
McCrimmon has dutifully gone about positioning the Golden Knights as a year-in, year-out Cup contender, and he deserves praise for that. But at a point in league history where there’s parity everywhere, the difference between making the Cup final again, losing in the first round, or not making the playoffs at all, is razor-thin.
Vegas is going to need good luck with injuries and some puck luck in general to outlast their opponents and win their second Cup.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
