If You Can't Name All Of These Vegas Golden Knights, You're Definitely On The Bandwagon
- by Chris Roberts
- – on
- in Sports
When the National Hockey League (NHL) announced it was awarding an expansion franchise to Las Vegas, many fans and media alike presumed the team would toil in mediocrity at best for a number of years before challenging for a playoff spot. Previous expansion teams like Nashville, Minnesota, and Columbus took years to make the playoffs, while Atlanta was so bad for so long that it failed to build a dedicated fan base and ultimately moved to Winnipeg. Things were different with Vegas, however. The Golden Knights had to pay $500 million for their franchise, which was much more than those aforementioned teams had to pay and, as a result, were given much more accommodating rules in the expansion draft.
Whereas the Minnesota Wild's best expansion draft pick was either Wes Walz, Filip Kuba or Antti Laaksonen (who?), the Golden Knights were gifted a roster that includes established goal scorers like James Neal, Jonathan Marchessault, and David Perron. The team's general manager, George McPhee, also did his best to take advantage of teams like Florida, Minnesota, and Columbus, who had salary cap concerns. Now, we're in the Stanley Cup Finals and the Golden Knights have a legitimate shot at winning the Stanley Cup. It may or may not have already happened as of the time you read this, but regardless of if it did or not, it's undeniable that Vegas has had the best expansion season in all of professional sports.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
This 27 year old Toronto, Ontario native was selected by the Golden Knights from the Florida Panthers. He was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and played parts of two seasons with the team before being dealt to the Boston Bruins. He posted a career-high 51 points during the 2013-14 season, but, with increased ice time, improved upon that in his first year with the Golden Knights, producing 22 goals and 38 assists for 60 points through only 67 games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
This Vegas goaltender was originally selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft after playing two seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He struggled to start his career, but is now a three-time Stanley Cup champion and, despite being 33 years old, had one of the best seasons of his career with the Golden Knights, posting a record of 29-13-4 to go along with a 2.24 goals against average and .927 save percentage.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
A 22 year old native of Langley, British Columbia, this 6-foot-2, 195-pound defenseman was one of the youngest players available to Vegas in the expansion draft and the team definitely made the right choice in selecting him. Originally drafted 26th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, he only played 53 games with Anaheim, but wasn't eligible to be protected. He played 61 games this past season with Vegas and finished third in scoring among defensemen with 29 points.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
This defenseman finished one spot ahead of Theodore for second on the team in scoring among blueliners. He registered 36 points in 76 games and proved himself a capable top-four defender after being in and out of the lineup with his previous team: the Washington Capitals. Although he was never drafted, he was signed by the Capitals as a free agent out of the University of Minnesota in 2013 and went on to play 200 regular season games and 21 playoff games with the team.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
George McPhee's shrewd management skills allowed him to get this player out of Minnesota along with one other dynamic forward in exchange for agreeing not to select talented Wild defenseman Matt Dumba. A 22 year old native of Syracuse, New York, he was selected 18th overall by the Wild in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and played two seasons at Boston College, where he produced 62 points in 77 games. He played only six games with Minnesota, but proved himself this past season with 37 points in 78 games for the Golden Knights.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
Originally selected by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, this 27 year old Finn played three seasons at the University of Minnesota, where he was a standout scorer, and later played parts of two seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) before joining the Wild. He played 266 games with the Wild and was a decent bottom-six winger, but improved significantly with added ice time in Vegas. Through 76 games, he recorded career-high figures in goals (29), assists (26), and points (55). His previous career-high in points was 34.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
The Toronto Maple Leafs were fortunate in the expansion draft as they had such a young team that most of their talented players were exempt from the process. However, they did lose this 24 year old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who looked good in the AHL and recorded three points in six games with the big club during the 2015-16 season. He produced 13 points in 44 regular season games with the Knights, but was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline, becoming the first ex-Golden Knight in the league.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
Unquestionably the biggest breakout player on the Knights this season, this 24 year old Swede was originally selected in the second round of the 2011 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks, but played only 18 games with the team before being dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He showed flashes of his potential in Columbus, but was no more than a bottom-six forward, having recorded 25 points or less in each of his two full seasons with the team. However, he exploded for a career-high 43 goals this season (34 more than his previous career-high) and led the team in points with 78.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
Originally selected by the Washington Capitals in the third round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, this Winnipeg, Manitoba native played junior hockey with the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League (WHL) before making his pro debut during the 2011-12 season. He played only 30 games with the Capitals before being dealt to the Dallas Stars, where he spent five seasons. He accumulated 27 points in his first season with the Golden Knights and now has 181 points in 459 career regular season games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
A resident of Las Vegas before being selected by the team, this defenseman previous played two seasons for the Las Vegas Wranglers of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and, as a result, has become a fan favorite, despite the fact he's basically a journeyman NHL defenseman. He was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2000, but never made it to the NHL until the 2009-10 season as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite now being 36 years old, he posted a career-high 23 points through 79 games this season.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
One of the few Golden Knights not acquired through the expansion draft, this player was picked up from the Detroit Red Wings at the trade deadline in exchange for three draft picks, one of which was a first-round pick. It was one of the few mistakes made by George McPhee as it hasn't at all played out as expected. The 27 year old native of Slovakia recorded only six points in 20 games with the Golden Knights during the regular season and dressed in only seven playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
While Tatar may have been a massive mistake by the Golden Knights management, this player has been one of its best forwards all season long and it hasn't even been much of a surprise. The Florida Panthers had to give him up last season, despite the fact he scored 30 goals and added 21 assists, but they couldn't have foreseen him having the type of impact he has had in Las Vegas. The 27 year old undrafted native of Cap-Rouge, Quebec finished this past season second in scoring on the Golden Knights with 75 points through 77 games. He also has 20 points through 19 playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
A 28 year old native of Ozieri, Italy, this player grew up in Switzerland and played junior hockey in Canada before being selected 19th overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He played only 39 games with the team before being dealt to Anaheim, where he was in and out of the lineup over the course of five seasons. He then developed his game over three seasons in Vancouver and was taken from there by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft. Despite playing only 30 games this season, he finished the year with 14 points, which is the second-highest total of his career.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
An established fourth-line grinder and penalty killer, this 33 year old native of France played eight seasons in Sweden before being signed by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2014-15. He played three seasons with the Eastern Conference team and recorded a combined 34 points. Through 72 regular season games with the Golden Knights, he recorded a career-high 16 points and was a key contributor to the team's successful penalty-killing unit. He now has 79 points through 309 career regular season games and four points in 24 playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
Known as "The Real Deal," this player's jersey is one of the best-selling in Vegas along with Marc-Andre Fleury and Deryk Engelland. The 30 year old Whitby, Ontario native was drafted 33rd overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and has since played for the Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Nashville Predators. Despite being a proven goal scorer, he was left unprotected by the Predators and the Golden Knights wasted little time in adding him to its roster. He scored 25 goals this past season, marking the 10th consecutive season that he has scored at least 20 goals.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
An unlikely playoff hero during the Western Conference Finals, this 25 year old Czech Republic native was taken by the Golden Knights from the Detroit Red Wings in the expansion draft. The Red Wings didn't have much to offer up as most of their top players were protected, but Vegas found a diamond in the rough in this player, who had only recorded one point in 17 prior NHL games with Detroit. He did, however, register 41 points in 51 games in the AHL during the 2016-17 season. He accumulated 15 points in 67 regular season games this past season.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
Selected 26th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, this Sherbrooke, Quebec native played six seasons with the team and later played for the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks, and again for the Blues in 2016-17. He enjoyed a career resurgence in his second stint with the Blues, posting 46 points in 82 games and even expanded upon that in his first season with the Golden Knights, registering a career-high 66 points in 70 regular season games. He has eight points in 14 playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
One of the toughest players in the league, this 31 year old enforcer was originally selected by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and played seven seasons with the team. He scored no more than seven goals in any of those seasons, but topped more than 100 penalty minutes on four separate occasions. He was acquired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the offseason, but dealt to the Golden Knights at the trade deadline and, while he failed to score in 21 regular season games, he recorded two critical goals in 10 playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
An unheralded defenseman who plays bottom-pairing minutes with the Golden Knights, this player was originally selected 66th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and played parts of two seasons with the team before being dealt to the Los Angeles Kings. Through three seasons with the Kings, he recorded 42 points and, while his overall offensive productivity has declined with the Golden Knights, he did score a career-high five goals this past season. He also has five points in 19 playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
Arguably one of the Golden Knights' best all-around defenseman, this 25 year old Canadian was also the team's top scorer among blueliners this past season as he posted a career-high 41 points through 82 games. He had previously played two seasons with the Boston Bruins and his career-high was 16 points. He was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings, but dealt to Boston as part of a trade involving Milan Lucic.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
This goaltender would have likely never been heard of among casual - and even hardcore - NHL fans if the Golden Knights didn't experience a string of goaltender injuries earlier in the season. The 25 year old undrafted netminder played the majority of his career in the ECHL and spent time in the AHL the past two seasons, but was called up to play 16 games with Vegas while Marc-Andre Fleury and others were injured. Despite a disastrous 3.92 goals against average and .867 save percentage, he managed to post a not-so-terrible 6-7-1 record.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
A second-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, this 26 year old native of Sweden was later dealt to the New York Rangers before playing a game in Arizona. Through 135 games with the Rangers over the course of three seasons, he recorded 48 points. Although he appeared in 63 games for the Golden Knights this past season, he was primarily used in a fourth-line role, which why he registered a career-low 11 points. He also had one of the worst plus/minus ratings on the team with a minus-11.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
A 23 year old native of Montreal, Quebec, this fourth-line winger was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the second round of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft out of the QMJHL. He was later traded to the Buffalo Sabres and played three seasons with the team's AHL affiliate in Rochester and eventually 41 games with the big club. He managed to get in to 37 games this past season with the Golden Knights and recorded just three points. He also appeared in nine playoff games.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
A 27 year old native of Oviedo, Florida, this undrafted free agent signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2014 after three seasons with Bowling Green State University and later played parts of three seasons with the Sharks' AHL affiliate in Worcester before making his NHL debut during the 2015-16 season. He played only 28 career games with the Sharks, but proved himself a valuable player late in the season with the Golden Knights, accumulating 14 points in 36 regular season games in a limited role.
Who is this Vegas Golden Knights player?
The Golden Knights appeared to have its goaltending situation secure prior to the season with Marc-Andre Fleury as the starter and Calvin Pickard as the backup, but when the Boston Bruins put this goaltender on waivers, the team jumped at the opportunity to claim him, following which they dealt Pickard to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The former first-round pick and native of Toronto, Ontario played in 22 games for the Golden Knights this season and posted an impressive record of 13-4-2 to go along with a 2.68 goals against average and .910 save percentage.