People in September: Lmao vegas sucks. They had no one good to pick besides Fleury and Neal and they wont reach 60 points People Now: _well its no surprise_ vegas is this good they were handed a great team by the league
Yep, if they lose, they suck. If they win, it's rigged. If one person had screamed about this being rigged after the expansion draft, I might respect that opinion. Everyone picked them to finish at or near the bottom of the league.
Not true for a lot of people though. MYself and like 60-70% of my hockey fan friends all predicted Vegas would do well. I had them loosing the conference final to Nashville in September, one friend had them winning it all. A lot of people (on facebook too) predicted theyd do well and knew they were handed a great team
Lol remember when Drew Doughty said that Vegas wouldn't go anywhere and it was stupid to have hockey in the desert?? Remember during the first round of the playoffs when the Vegas Golden Knights swept the Los Angeles King's and made Daughty eat his words?? Well, pepperidge farms remembered and so do I.
My team isn't in it and I am pulling for Vegas as well. The hard thing is that if the Peg wins then it will be two teams I am pulling for against each other. In the East it's going to be a good semifinal.
Gabriel Matte I’m exactly the same. I’m pulling for Winnipeg over all. I was actively rooting against VGK until this video by Shannon who changed my mind. But yeah, if it gets to Jets vs Knights I will pull for the Jets
The people who say that the expansion draft is rigged are the same people who said George McPhee is an idiot, hockey doesn’t belong in Vegas and expected them dead last in the pacific
The Draft was set so that a expansion team could get a competitive team the first year out. it achieved that I do not think the draft is rigged at all, but when the team you cheer for is diluted and the player you did not want to loose is successful for another team it leaves a bitter taste. Vegas fans should just admit the draft was set up to give them a better chance for success and the fans who dislike the knight need to realize to bring a crap team into the league would have been a bad decision for the NHL monetarily
I think many Vegas fans realize we got a nice head start from the draft rule changes but that’s a far cry from the people saying we bought or were gifted a team. After the draft no one was talking about how amazing our draft was and how we’d make the playoffs, we were picked by most to finish dead last in the league. Fleury was a monumental score, without him we aren’t where we are today, but what this group of talented 2nd, 3rd, and 4th liners have been able to pull off is unbelievable and has created a sense of community that I’m not sure anyone in Vegas thought was possible. I’m not sure it could be replicated, everything just fell into place and worked.
@@Hypoxicstate you didn’t even listen to the video . THG explained most of the awesome players Vegas got weren’t because of the expansion draft it was because of dumb mistakes and players other GMs gave up! That was Vegas GM being smart, not the league making sure we got a good team.
Hey THG, Thank you for helping me learn so much about Hockey. I've followed hockey since the San Jose expansion, cause I lived there. I cheered for the Blues, because I was born there. I moved to WA in 93, so I've cheered for the Canucks, to at least bring the playoffs here. I've ceered for Vegas since the draft, because it will be easier and cheeper for me to go to a Vegas game than a Canucks, or even soon a Seattle game. Until this year, I've always had a hard time keeping up with trades, drafts, and waivers or understanding expansions. You've made following the teams I like, as well as the rest of the league, more enjoyable. Thank you.
Appreciate this here in Vegas, trying to explain this to people that are still on the high horse of its rigged yatta yatta shows how the GMs slowly played themselves and how great McPhee did. It’s been an incredible ride so far and what the team has done for me personally after the shooting it’s really brought a huge sense of community to a tourist trap. Great video if you ever make it out here to Vegas I’ll be sure to buy you a beer
GhastMarketing Scroggz you got to realise though like EVERY thing was against them the gm traded filip Forsberg for Michael Erat and micheal latta there a team of players teams gave up on but they pulled off some great trades and now are a cup contender
GhastMarketing Scroggz…..Thank you for touching on the one element that is rarely talked about when discussing the success of our VGK. We who live here know about the connection between the events of One October and the our team. These players, who didn't ask to come here, suddenly found themselves in the role of goodwill representatives for a community shaken to it's foundation by a senseless, tragic act just days before the season began. In between practices, they were visiting survivors in hospitals, donating blood, and were showing this rattled community that the VGK organization is first class off the ice, before anyone knew how they would fair on the ice. The original opening night pregame ceremony, which was already written, rehearsed, and full of all the glitz you'd expect of a Vegas show, was scrapped in favor of an emotional but very fitting tribute to the 58 victims who lost their lives and to honor the emergency services/first responders. Just prior to the drop of the first puck, the house lights dimmed and an announcement asking for 58 seconds of silence was made, which was counted up from 1 to 58 in big gold numbers on the scoreboard. To see 20,000 people standing motionless and silent was very surreal, and when the house lights came up, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. (Scroggz were you there?) Ask any VGK player how they were able to rise to the level it takes to compete in an NHL game following such an emotional scene, and they'll all tell you that that ceremony gave them inspiration like nothing they'd ever experienced before....they knew they HAD to win that game. They came out on fire, scoring 4 goals before the halfway point of period 1, creating an instant relationship with the ecstatic fans. They wound up winning the inaugural home game 5-2, and they never looked back...That game set the tone for the entire season they bonded together in a way that allowed chemistry to develop, and they've ridden that inspirational, emotional wave all season long and into the post season...and while it remains to be played out, probably all the way to the Stanley Cup. It's a fantastic story, and I am very grateful to this team for giving us residents something to cheer about in the wake of the dark cloud that shrouded our city 8 months ago.
GhastMarketing Scroggz, at the beginning of the season I thought, "Oh, they're an expansion team. They're going to get their butts kicked around." That didn't happen. I don't think it was rigged. Marc-Andre Fleury is still a good goaltender. I've seen Vegas' pregame on TV. I find it very entertaining. They lasted in the playoffs longer than my Bruins. I tip my hat off to the Golden Knights.
Richard M - Beautifully said. I was there at opening night and I can confirm there wasn't a dry eye in that arena. I was also working that night during the shooting and have never experienced such as what happened, other than being in the sand pit overseas. That's why the Knights winning is such a beautiful distraction for our city and everyone is riding their coattails and willing them to victory.
I got to say mate, I've been following you're channel From England for about a month now and I cant tell you the amount of knowledge I've gained just from going through your back catalogue. Don't ever stop this channel, I think its sorely needed, especially for hockey fans outside of Canada who came to the game late, it's much appreciated.
This is kinda what kills me. When they drafted these players, they did NOT have a good team. Before the start of the season, that $500 million did NOT buy them what anyone thought was a good team. Yes, they are good now, thats because multiple players are having career years. But no one expected anything like this, so to look back and say “Vegas paid $500 million so they got rules that gave them a good team” isnt exactly the full story. They are only good now, before the season began, everyone expected them to be last. Not a single person said “wow! Vegas got a great team for $500 million!”
But they did have the best chance of drafting a good team because they had access to better players in the expansion draft. I expected them to be decent, but still at the bottom of the league with around 65 points.
Wow! Thank you for the replay Shannon! Didn't expect to see that! To be fair, yes, the 2017 Expansion Draft was the most favorable in modern sports history, I absolutely cede that point. But we are still talking about getting the 10th or 12th best player from every team, and the Golden Knights didn’t even do that, plus, many of the best players that were available and were selected, McPhee traded. It left the Golden Knights with: -Four players who had ever scored 20 goals or more -Third and fourth lines without a single player who had ever recorded more than 25 points in a season -Not a single defenseman (aside from Garrison who is in the AHL) who had played in a top-four role in his career. Yes, They were able to get a top goalie, but he only played 12 of the Golden Knights first 41 games (which the Knights still won the majority of). My apologies for such a long post, but when it's broken down, there are quite a few reasons the Golden Knights were predicted to finish so poorly. The $500 million didn't get McPhee a good team (pre-season predictions show that), he just hit a home run with just about every one of his selections.
You hit the nail on the head. After the dust settled from the draft, they were still expected (by "the experts") to have a terrible year, and stay that way for a few years minimum. It's easy to look back now and see how good those players ended up doing this year, but nearly impossible to call it back then. That's why their odds were 200:1 before the season started.
Well, I could have told you if you let a team chose the best 3rd line forwards and bottom 3 defenseman from a 30 team league, you're going to have a pretty good team, Clearly, the fix was on for Vegas.
Before the season, I was one of the person who said they got a good team, not everyone before the season said they sucked and right now even being the top 4 teams and to go to the playoffs I’m not even surprised . Only reason I’m not surprised is because they hav all the power to select players and some players are good even on the open list of being picked .
Daniel Steigerwald The Knights passes of all of Canada cause they have a chance to do something in one year that no Canadian team has done in 25. Win the Stanley Cup
I really enjoy your videos. I am a Vegas fan but still learning the game. This was so interesting to watch. I head right to your videos after every game. Thanks for all you do to make these.
I just have to say that I appreciate that you upload vids what seems like every 6 hours, LOL. I need my hockey fix every single day now, it seems, while I wait for the next games to go on. I can only imagine how my life would feel so empty during the summer months but thank God that you're here, LMAO.
Gary Bettman goes to Vegas... 1) World wide marketing reach 2) showmanship appeals to younger demographic 3) people are talking about hockey in the US during the NBA playoffs, and 4) half a billion freaking bucks in liquidity. Dude is a genius.
George McPhee deserves a standing ovation for orchestrating such an incredible trade scheme...picking quality amongst the fodder to trade...Vegas will be a force for the next 5 years atleast. I'm excited to see how Seattle can follow this also. Hard fought season by pissed off and motivated players
After misplaying the opening hype for Vegas, I expect the NHL to really go all in for Seattle. Not long after the Knights logo and jerseys were revealed, my wife was in Vegas. She visited the store, and all she could get with the logo was a t-shirt with a play on the Vegas slogan: "What happens on the ice, stays on the ice," with a very small Knights logo. The league won't underestimate fan enthusiasm like that again.
The Karlsson, Smith, Marchessault line is my favorite story in hockey. Given away from their teams so others weren't taken, and turning right around to be, IMO, the most dominant line in the league
Given away? Do you even understand how the expansion draft went down? They were not just tossed away, all three of those players have always been decent players that teams wanted. The teams that got rid of them did it because they were kind of forced to, they were only given so many saves and they had to make the most business like decisions possible.
VGK nation heavy in this THG group! Just wanna day thank you. I’m a sports freak but admittedly didn’t know a lot about hockey but it always interested me. Finding your channel to helped me be (usually) the smartest hockey guy in the room. Your videos are basically in my daily rotation! And hockey is almost taken over as my favorite sport to watch (besides NBA)
Not even top 5 mate. If you are talking USA sports history...MAYBE top 5 (even that is a stretch). But there are MUCH more impressive sports stories from other sports all over the world.
Great video, Shannon. But - the missing link here is talent choice...scouting? Whatever you want to call it. One team’s management evaluates better than another’s. How. Voodoo? More experience? The bad teams have one thing in common: they picked the wrong guys. Bad on them. Sounds like a good video for you to explain just how scouting gets done.
I hate their name. I never address them by name, and if I have to I just call them golden showers. BUT MAN THE MORE I WATCH THEM THE MORE I LOVE EM! I really respect what the management and the scouting team have accomplished by turning every team's reject into a cup contender. If they win the cup I'll be alittle mad outta jealousy but they totally deserve it. And if they don't, theyre gonna have a great future anyway.
I dont feel like anyone's talking about the inherent value of being able to pick players that fit into a specific system, that are humble enough in their careers to be moldable and a coach that can successfully implement a game plan. This team is learning and growing together and everyones playing their role, and I seriously believe that more then anyone's individual talent is leading them to having a career year.
John Dombroski I’m new to hockey (Las Vegan here, started watching at the start of the season), but Vegas seems like a team. A lot of other hockey teams seem like NBA teams, one or two stars with forgettable fill-out-the-playing-field passers. Hockey is fast and complex, so success seems to demand solid players in all positions. Star players are nice, but it takes a lot more work to have a solid team. That’s admirable to me.
StarWine exactly. All the best teams are there because they have depth pieces that help drive the stars forward, without that the whole thing falls apart. Too many teams mold their play style around their star player and as a result the other players are forced into roles that dont fit their specific skillset, instead of actually carving out an identity for this team and creating a system that utilizes everyones strengths, something Vegas had the luxury of doing as it started from scratch.
TheRobloxMoose 1845 nylander? Karlsson practically carried the team with 43 goals. He's one of the best snipers in the league, around ovechkin level. Wayyy better then nylander, I honestly don't know how you came up with that.
If you watched Vegas and Karlsson you would know that this is not a fluke year he just is that good and columbus missed that jewel they had. Just look at the between the leg goal vs sharks that shows he is comfortable in the league now and will only get better.
There is no questioning here...#wildbill is a savage. His Hockey sense is just stuuupid which is his greatest strength but this year he has showed he has all the tools. Speed, vision , grit, a ridiculous shot (wrister especially) and plays solid defence. Absolutely showed he can be a 1 first line player , btw reilly smith is a nice support for his breakout year but very underrated imo. Not even a fan but #goknightsgo at this point man...what a story.
Kryzgonite MC Dont get me wrong, I love Wild Bill, but if you expect him to keep this scoring uo you are insane. He has one of the highest shooting percentages in the entire league.
You're the Vegas Golden Knights of hockey analysts. You're ahead of the game with your videos, your analysis, and your topics. All the mainstream hockey talk from the big sports networks are like vanilla or sticks in the mud. They need to get a clue like how these old NHL GMs will soon with Vegas. Great vid, enjoy all your videos.
This kind of reminds me of the 1995 NFL expansion when the Panthers and Jaguars came into the league and in their 2nd year were in their respective conferences championship games. By the time the Browns came back the league adjusted their expansion draft and the Browns have been crappy ever since.
Nice. I did some sort of analysis on this (minus the transaction details). One of the missed factors also though is the presence of NMC's that HAD to be protected. NMC's did not exist in 2000. That gives a greater advantage to VGK. Also, Gallant as the available HC was a biggie. Perron had the best summary: He answered the press about their success. "There are no cliques in the locker room." One thing also to remember- MIN and CBJ expansion fees v VGK fee had the VGK go up 9.5%/yr. Not a bad growth rate, but let's remember different dollars, split fewer ways in 1997 (not 2000). Regarding MAF, you also have to remember that he waived his NMC to save the Pens bacon on Murray. He didn't have to do that.
Keep in mind, its easy to look back now and say "This team was set up with great players from the start." but remember that most people still expected them to suck even after the draft. There were a lot of reports about how bad the draft was for them and how they only got 2 noteworthy players (Neal and Flower) and lots of questioning McPhee and the decision making. The players are playing with chips on their shoulders, having career years, and coming together to play some good solid hockey. The stadium is always packed and loud, too, which probably helps a ton.
0:10 VGK used a snippet of it during their intro for the Western Conference Final. Taken out of context but they wanted to rile up their fans. Amazing.
This video here made me really appreciate Vegas as a franchise. I couldn't STAND them being so good but honestly this really opened my eyes as to who the team actually is. I have an uncle in Vegas and he LOVES the knights and I think I will too... Really excited to see about their future. GO KNIGHTS!!!!
I was watching the expansion draft and I knew they were in the playoffs but I didn't expect them to go this deep until closer to the end of the season when they really showed they deserved a chance at the cup
I'm a sens fan, and i cheer for winnipeg in the playoffs cuz they're a small canadien town like ottawa, but man is it hard not to cheer Vegas. If preds win tommorow i hope vegas wins it all
I really think that Fleury is cementing his foothold in the Hall of Fame. I think some team would have given Pittsburgh a 2nd for Fleury and I thought that he was going to be Vegas pick. Now having young players means that the potential is there and sometimes its the ice time that isn't for a lot of these players.
"Look at the celebrations when they score goals" I said the same thing early on, and again after the celebration from the 2OT against the Kings. It wasn't that they won, it was their celebration afterwards. You can see how much they have invested in every single goal they score. Watch the video of Haula scoring the 2OT winner... The team celebrates like they won the cup, for a game two victory. And they seemingly still have energy after a nearly 5 hour long game.
Honestly have looked at Vegas as an amazing story since the beginning. Not on the bandwagon necessarily but very happy to see those players succeed so much.
I am liking the Tartar trade more and more as a Wings fan. 4 picks in the top 36 picks in this year's draft. Not too shabby to start rebuilding with. Shades of 1989 perhaps?
I'm a ducks fan at heart but, it's hard not to like the vagas golden knights they have such a good team I wouldn't be surprised if they won the whole thing this year. They play with the fire they need to its great. GO KNIGHTS GO!!!
Vegas comes down to McPhee being smart and players that work really hard and play better than anyone expected. I dont see a point in expansion teams being a punching bag. I only see teams saying it unfair because their team sucks now. Well whos fault is that probably the gms and the players not playing good enough.
I agree, i don't blame the NHL for doing what they did to make sure Vegas had a quality team. $500mil deserves a at least a good chance at a good team. Plus like you said, filling expansion teams with bottom of the barrel players doesn't work well. Teams struggle, fans stop going to games and several teams have moved. I don't think the NHL had any idea Vegas would be THIS good though but that credit belongs to Mcphee and everyone of those players that are playing their asses off! I'm a Pens fan and it would be awesome to see Vegas win. Great story, and seeing Fleury playing like he is and showing that he's a HOF'er is awesome to see.
The Vegas 2017 draft class is incredibly good.Top 4 picks look like they could all be impact NHL guys, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rondbjerg Elvenes and Dugan make it to the NHL some day.
Love the analysis. You were right. At season start, everyone was saying that Vegas would be last. Even the sports books had long shot odds on them. And now, look at them. Deadly as ever and the envy of the hockey world. I tell you, the governor’s mansion is going to be vacant soon. And I can guaran-damn-tee you that if McPhee ran for governor and Gallant ran for lt. governor, they would win in a landslide!!!!!! “For Vegas reasons.” 🤣🤣🤣
As a Pittsburgher and long time Penguins fan, I was scratching my head over my beloved team's move before Vegas' expansion draft. Everyone knew they were going to pick MAF. There was no other goaltender available who could even be mentioned in the same sentence as #29. Why did we just give them a #2 draft pick? If George McPhee had pushed it, I'm sorry, my response would've been, "Yeah, we'll take our chances and keep our #2. Nice try." Having said that, nothing but the best of luck to Vegas in the Finals and I'm going to be cheering when Marc Andre Fleury gets handed the Conn Smythe.
to be fair the teams giving away the players in the expansion draft in 2000 had 3 years to prepare, while the teams in the vegas expansion draft had a year to prepare and by the time vegas was announced most of the contracts were already set in stone
Great analysis ... Vegas got good players for 1/2 a Billion dollars. I see Seattle doing almost as well ... not a finals visit but playoffs in first year.
My Golden Knights rant.... In the NBA, the Sacramento Kings current ownership paid 500 mil to keep the team from moving to Seattle. The fact that the league was involved from the start regarding the possible relocation as the previous ownership group was risking bankruptcy, meant that, In a sense, Sacramento outbid Seattle to the rights to the team (the bid from Sacramento also included a new downtown arena that Seattle couldn’t offer). Finally considering this process meant the complete overhaul of the organizational heads (Owner/GM/Coach) it really felt like (at least that first season) that an expansion franchise was coming into Sacramento. Only problem....with the same low level talent, little opportunity to overhaul the roster & the same reputation of a failed franchise that couldn’t attract big name free agents. And all of that (and the fact they play in the sharks division & knocked them out of the playoffs) is the reason why I hate that Vegas has been so successful this season. But hey, if they keep Ovechkin from winning a cup, more power to them
The team may be new but the players weren't born yesterday. They deserve winning. The players and coaches have been in this league for as long as anybody. They probably arnt even close to the youngest team. Edit: I wrote this right before you said something similar.
you make a sport that is inaccessible to a complete noob. with this video i understood why vegas is doing so well and will be watching more of your vids.
I am very surprised with Vegas' success. This video gave me an understanding on why they were so successful. Have you seen their pregame? It is very entertaining. Of course, I was one of those who thought, "They're an expansion team. They're going to get their butts kicked." That didn't happen though. Plus the fact that they have a good goaltender helps.
Post to post is boring...maybe if they didnt sound bored for most of it....Shannon has the best responses, he is lively..his facial expressions..hysterical
Some prefer strawberry ice cream to chocolate. Others are sometimes in a strawberry mood and in a chocolate mood at other times. I usually prefer a mix of both in like a sundae, with some nuts and honey or syrup in the form of other channels added on top and spoon-mashed into it. I'm hungry for dessert now, but I digress. I don't have to put one down to pick another up. THG's my absolute favorite, but I enjoy a lot of hockey talk both on and off TH-cam. Variety's the spice. And yes, it's pretty much a no-brainer that a Habs fan born and raised in Atlantic Canada might enjoy the content of a couple of other Habs fans from the same area. I have a lot of good things to say about a lot of hockey TH-cam'rs, and to any I might not care for I just don't say anything about them, on their channel or on any other. Sorry you find us Maritimers boring though, K H. ;P
You took it quite personal to point out a people from an origin because I dislike their voices and show? Lol ridiculous. But you make a very good point, I like third party reviews of folks who are unbiased. Shannon it is. He isn't a fan of my team, but he is fair on his analysis. I will keep Shannon, you enjoy the Habs fans reviews. Beat of luck.
I didn't take it personally at all. It's just dry Maritime sarcasm mixed in with good-natured self deprecation. I thought the tongue out and wink would help but I guess I failed there. I normally enjoy and look forward to reading what you have to say in Comments and like the hockey people I like and care for, if I didn't I wouldn't have bothered taking the time to reply here.
Oh and you forgot that Vegas is exempt from the Seattle expansion draft. In return, they don't collect 1/31st of the Seattle expansion payment. But imagine how that going to play out in the free agent market and trade deadlines prior to the expansion.
You can explain all these different scenarios. The one constant is signing a HALL OF FAME GOALTENDER. Without Fleury there's nothing to talk about. Just my opinion.
Tatar trade will prove out. He came in late and simply did not have ample time to mesh with the chemistry that developed over the regular season. The roster will look much different on opening day next year and Tatar will have had time to acclimate.
Fleury had a no trade clause in his contract. He asked for that removed so they could use him and protect Matt Murray. Pittsburgh originally was going to protect Fleury.
I have nothing against anything Vegas has done. Good on the players for getting to where they are, HOWEVER with a clean slate Vegas is operating from a position of power and can exploit cap strapped teams in any deal they make. Gives them huuuuuuuuge leverage. But hey the owners signed off on this so they’ve only themselves to blame but I can’t see them being happy about the rules when the Seattle expansion draft rolls around...
People in September: Lmao vegas sucks. They had no one good to pick besides Fleury and Neal and they wont reach 60 points
People Now: _well its no surprise_ vegas is this good they were handed a great team by the league
Yep, if they lose, they suck. If they win, it's rigged. If one person had screamed about this being rigged after the expansion draft, I might respect that opinion. Everyone picked them to finish at or near the bottom of the league.
Not true for a lot of people though. MYself and like 60-70% of my hockey fan friends all predicted Vegas would do well. I had them loosing the conference final to Nashville in September, one friend had them winning it all. A lot of people (on facebook too) predicted theyd do well and knew they were handed a great team
On God 😩
Lol remember when Drew Doughty said that Vegas wouldn't go anywhere and it was stupid to have hockey in the desert?? Remember during the first round of the playoffs when the Vegas Golden Knights swept the Los Angeles King's and made Daughty eat his words?? Well, pepperidge farms remembered and so do I.
Wow. You just made me a Vegas fan for the rest of these playoffs
good one, maybe next time you'll really get me good by spelling your swear right
there is always room for more Jake!
Jump on board the Vegas wagon!! All are welcome!!!!
My team isn't in it and I am pulling for Vegas as well. The hard thing is that if the Peg wins then it will be two teams I am pulling for against each other. In the East it's going to be a good semifinal.
Gabriel Matte I’m exactly the same. I’m pulling for Winnipeg over all. I was actively rooting against VGK until this video by Shannon who changed my mind. But yeah, if it gets to Jets vs Knights I will pull for the Jets
Yes we need a 96 panthers video !
The people who say that the expansion draft is rigged are the same people who said George McPhee is an idiot, hockey doesn’t belong in Vegas and expected them dead last in the pacific
The Draft was set so that a expansion team could get a competitive team the first year out. it achieved that I do not think the draft is rigged at all, but when the team you cheer for is diluted and the player you did not want to loose is successful for another team it leaves a bitter taste. Vegas fans should just admit the draft was set up to give them a better chance for success and the fans who dislike the knight need to realize to bring a crap team into the league would have been a bad decision for the NHL monetarily
I think many Vegas fans realize we got a nice head start from the draft rule changes but that’s a far cry from the people saying we bought or were gifted a team. After the draft no one was talking about how amazing our draft was and how we’d make the playoffs, we were picked by most to finish dead last in the league. Fleury was a monumental score, without him we aren’t where we are today, but what this group of talented 2nd, 3rd, and 4th liners have been able to pull off is unbelievable and has created a sense of community that I’m not sure anyone in Vegas thought was possible. I’m not sure it could be replicated, everything just fell into place and worked.
@@Hypoxicstate you didn’t even listen to the video . THG explained most of the awesome players Vegas got weren’t because of the expansion draft it was because of dumb mistakes and players other GMs gave up! That was Vegas GM being smart, not the league making sure we got a good team.
Hey THG, Thank you for helping me learn so much about Hockey. I've followed hockey since the San Jose expansion, cause I lived there. I cheered for the Blues, because I was born there. I moved to WA in 93, so I've cheered for the Canucks, to at least bring the playoffs here. I've ceered for Vegas since the draft, because it will be easier and cheeper for me to go to a Vegas game than a Canucks, or even soon a Seattle game. Until this year, I've always had a hard time keeping up with trades, drafts, and waivers or understanding expansions. You've made following the teams I like, as well as the rest of the league, more enjoyable. Thank you.
For Vegas reasons this video had 47 likes with 0 views
Batflip 09 fair enough
Appreciate this here in Vegas, trying to explain this to people that are still on the high horse of its rigged yatta yatta shows how the GMs slowly played themselves and how great McPhee did. It’s been an incredible ride so far and what the team has done for me personally after the shooting it’s really brought a huge sense of community to a tourist trap. Great video if you ever make it out here to Vegas I’ll be sure to buy you a beer
and then the next round would be on me :)
GhastMarketing Scroggz you got to realise though like EVERY thing was against them the gm traded filip Forsberg for Michael Erat and micheal latta there a team of players teams gave up on but they pulled off some great trades and now are a cup contender
GhastMarketing Scroggz…..Thank you for touching on the one element that is rarely talked about when discussing the success of our VGK. We who live here know about the connection between the events of One October and the our team. These players, who didn't ask to come here, suddenly found themselves in the role of goodwill representatives for a community shaken to it's foundation by a senseless, tragic act just days before the season began. In between practices, they were visiting survivors in hospitals, donating blood, and were showing this rattled community that the VGK organization is first class off the ice, before anyone knew how they would fair on the ice.
The original opening night pregame ceremony, which was already written, rehearsed, and full of all the glitz you'd expect of a Vegas show, was scrapped in favor of an emotional but very fitting tribute to the 58 victims who lost their lives and to honor the emergency services/first responders. Just prior to the drop of the first puck, the house lights dimmed and an announcement asking for 58 seconds of silence was made, which was counted up from 1 to 58 in big gold numbers on the scoreboard. To see 20,000 people standing motionless and silent was very surreal, and when the house lights came up, I don't think there was a dry eye in the place. (Scroggz were you there?)
Ask any VGK player how they were able to rise to the level it takes to compete in an NHL game following such an emotional scene, and they'll all tell you that that ceremony gave them inspiration like nothing they'd ever experienced before....they knew they HAD to win that game. They came out on fire, scoring 4 goals before the halfway point of period 1, creating an instant relationship with the ecstatic fans.
They wound up winning the inaugural home game 5-2, and they never looked back...That game set the tone for the entire season they bonded together in a way that allowed chemistry to develop, and they've ridden that inspirational, emotional wave all season long and into the post season...and while it remains to be played out, probably all the way to the Stanley Cup. It's a fantastic story, and I am very grateful to this team for giving us residents something to cheer about in the wake of the dark cloud that shrouded our city 8 months ago.
GhastMarketing Scroggz, at the beginning of the season I thought, "Oh, they're an expansion team. They're going to get their butts kicked around." That didn't happen. I don't think it was rigged. Marc-Andre Fleury is still a good goaltender. I've seen Vegas' pregame on TV. I find it very entertaining. They lasted in the playoffs longer than my Bruins. I tip my hat off to the Golden Knights.
Richard M - Beautifully said. I was there at opening night and I can confirm there wasn't a dry eye in that arena. I was also working that night during the shooting and have never experienced such as what happened, other than being in the sand pit overseas. That's why the Knights winning is such a beautiful distraction for our city and everyone is riding their coattails and willing them to victory.
I got to say mate, I've been following you're channel From England for about a month now and I cant tell you the amount of knowledge I've gained just from going through your back catalogue. Don't ever stop this channel, I think its sorely needed, especially for hockey fans outside of Canada who came to the game late, it's much appreciated.
Shannon, don't forget that Vegas picked up in round 2 of the 2017 Entry Draft the 2017-18 OHL Defenseman of the Year Nicolas Hague.
This is kinda what kills me. When they drafted these players, they did NOT have a good team. Before the start of the season, that $500 million did NOT buy them what anyone thought was a good team. Yes, they are good now, thats because multiple players are having career years. But no one expected anything like this, so to look back and say “Vegas paid $500 million so they got rules that gave them a good team” isnt exactly the full story. They are only good now, before the season began, everyone expected them to be last. Not a single person said “wow! Vegas got a great team for $500 million!”
But they did have the best chance of drafting a good team because they had access to better players in the expansion draft. I expected them to be decent, but still at the bottom of the league with around 65 points.
Wow! Thank you for the replay Shannon! Didn't expect to see that!
To be fair, yes, the 2017 Expansion Draft was the most favorable in modern sports history, I absolutely cede that point. But we are still talking about getting the 10th or 12th best player from every team, and the Golden Knights didn’t even do that, plus, many of the best players that were available and were selected, McPhee traded. It left the Golden Knights with:
-Four players who had ever scored 20 goals or more
-Third and fourth lines without a single player who had ever recorded more than 25 points in a season
-Not a single defenseman (aside from Garrison who is in the AHL) who had played in a top-four role in his career.
Yes, They were able to get a top goalie, but he only played 12 of the Golden Knights first 41 games (which the Knights still won the majority of).
My apologies for such a long post, but when it's broken down, there are quite a few reasons the Golden Knights were predicted to finish so poorly. The $500 million didn't get McPhee a good team (pre-season predictions show that), he just hit a home run with just about every one of his selections.
You hit the nail on the head. After the dust settled from the draft, they were still expected (by "the experts") to have a terrible year, and stay that way for a few years minimum. It's easy to look back now and see how good those players ended up doing this year, but nearly impossible to call it back then. That's why their odds were 200:1 before the season started.
Well, I could have told you if you let a team chose the best 3rd line forwards and bottom 3 defenseman from a 30 team league, you're going to have a pretty good team, Clearly, the fix was on for Vegas.
Before the season, I was one of the person who said they got a good team, not everyone before the season said they sucked and right now even being the top 4 teams and to go to the playoffs I’m not even surprised . Only reason I’m not surprised is because they hav all the power to select players and some players are good even on the open list of being picked .
Thank you for explaining this better than any other sports analyst has.
Vegas vegasing is making other teams mad. Mabye they should start vegasing like vegas does for vegas reasons.
Daniel Steigerwald The Knights passes of all of Canada cause they have a chance to do something in one year that no Canadian team has done in 25. Win the Stanley Cup
I really enjoy your videos. I am a Vegas fan but still learning the game. This was so interesting to watch. I head right to your videos after every game. Thanks for all you do to make these.
Las Vegas newspaper have given this team lots and lots of support and the town loves them.
I just have to say that I appreciate that you upload vids what seems like every 6 hours, LOL. I need my hockey fix every single day now, it seems, while I wait for the next games to go on. I can only imagine how my life would feel so empty during the summer months but thank God that you're here, LMAO.
Gary Bettman goes to Vegas... 1) World wide marketing reach 2) showmanship appeals to younger demographic 3) people are talking about hockey in the US during the NBA playoffs, and 4) half a billion freaking bucks in liquidity. Dude is a genius.
Coming back to this after 3 years is just hilarious.
George McPhee deserves a standing ovation for orchestrating such an incredible trade scheme...picking quality amongst the fodder to trade...Vegas will be a force for the next 5 years atleast. I'm excited to see how Seattle can follow this also. Hard fought season by pissed off and motivated players
After misplaying the opening hype for Vegas, I expect the NHL to really go all in for Seattle. Not long after the Knights logo and jerseys were revealed, my wife was in Vegas. She visited the store, and all she could get with the logo was a t-shirt with a play on the Vegas slogan: "What happens on the ice, stays on the ice," with a very small Knights logo. The league won't underestimate fan enthusiasm like that again.
The Karlsson, Smith, Marchessault line is my favorite story in hockey. Given away from their teams so others weren't taken, and turning right around to be, IMO, the most dominant line in the league
Given away? Do you even understand how the expansion draft went down? They were not just tossed away, all three of those players have always been decent players that teams wanted. The teams that got rid of them did it because they were kind of forced to, they were only given so many saves and they had to make the most business like decisions possible.
Loved the "Moneyball" reference with Brad Pitt lol
Awesome video, pumped for Vegas. Super stoked for Seattle. Got on the waitlist for tickets and am hoping for the totems or kracken
"We're still in the playoffs, and you're not." - Pretty much everyone on Vegas to their former team.
Hope their fans don’t take the success for granted. There’s nowhere to go but down for Vegas.
win or lose the Fanbase is going to grow!
I think David Perron was a steal from my Blues. The thing is so many of these guys are having their best career seasons. Simply remarkable
VGK nation heavy in this THG group! Just wanna day thank you. I’m a sports freak but admittedly didn’t know a lot about hockey but it always interested me. Finding your channel to helped me be (usually) the smartest hockey guy in the room. Your videos are basically in my daily rotation! And hockey is almost taken over as my favorite sport to watch (besides NBA)
0:08 Thanks for giving Vegas a quote for Game 3's hype opening THG!
Would love Vegas v Washington final with the mcphee connection
It's the best story in sports history
Not even top 5 mate. If you are talking USA sports history...MAYBE top 5 (even that is a stretch). But there are MUCH more impressive sports stories from other sports all over the world.
@@alfredpardoe3795 name them
@@unknowable2432 3 years later and he couldn’t name 5
I'm just glad the Canucks were not fleeced with Vegas' expansion
Daniel Dosso i cheered when they took Sbisa from us.
You’d have to have good players to be fleeced
Canucks have a couple good players
How I felt as Well being a Habs fan
Jimmy James don’t worry, you have a gm who will fleece himself
Coming back here just before the Seattle draft and just after the Minnesota buyouts is funny
Great video, Shannon. But - the missing link here is talent choice...scouting? Whatever you want to call it. One team’s management evaluates better than another’s. How. Voodoo? More experience? The bad teams have one thing in common: they picked the wrong guys. Bad on them. Sounds like a good video for you to explain just how scouting gets done.
I hate their name. I never address them by name, and if I have to I just call them golden showers.
BUT MAN THE MORE I WATCH THEM THE MORE I LOVE EM! I really respect what the management and the scouting team have accomplished by turning every team's reject into a cup contender. If they win the cup I'll be alittle mad outta jealousy but they totally deserve it. And if they don't, theyre gonna have a great future anyway.
Vegas is Vegas for Vegas reasons.
Matthew Barnaby I'm new to this meme can you explain?
Would you consider making a dedicated video on just William Karlsson? From 6 goals to 43 just how does that happen???
KiNgS In FoUr
dashmow Lmao nobody said 4
Your right about the 4..Just wasn't the Kings.
Lol!
Vegas in Four.
Man, I wanna see that movie now.
NathQ Art Hopefully it's called: "Vegas Strong, A Golden Knight's Tale".
Omg brad Pitt as George Mcfee lol
Great story, great video. And I too have been saying for months now that there is going to be a movie about this team and their first season miracle.
I dont feel like anyone's talking about the inherent value of being able to pick players that fit into a specific system, that are humble enough in their careers to be moldable and a coach that can successfully implement a game plan. This team is learning and growing together and everyones playing their role, and I seriously believe that more then anyone's individual talent is leading them to having a career year.
John Dombroski I’m new to hockey (Las Vegan here, started watching at the start of the season), but Vegas seems like a team. A lot of other hockey teams seem like NBA teams, one or two stars with forgettable fill-out-the-playing-field passers. Hockey is fast and complex, so success seems to demand solid players in all positions. Star players are nice, but it takes a lot more work to have a solid team. That’s admirable to me.
StarWine exactly. All the best teams are there because they have depth pieces that help drive the stars forward, without that the whole thing falls apart. Too many teams mold their play style around their star player and as a result the other players are forced into roles that dont fit their specific skillset, instead of actually carving out an identity for this team and creating a system that utilizes everyones strengths, something Vegas had the luxury of doing as it started from scratch.
Love the vids love the info! GO KNIGHTS GO!!!
This team is no joke and no fluke. They will be great for a VERY, VERY LONG TIME!
No they won't
William Karlsson is a franchise center
TheRobloxMoose 1845 nylander? Karlsson practically carried the team with 43 goals. He's one of the best snipers in the league, around ovechkin level. Wayyy better then nylander, I honestly don't know how you came up with that.
TheRobloxMoose 1845 McDavid and Crosby are generational players not franchise. And there’s definitely more than 10 franchise players in the nhl
If you watched Vegas and Karlsson you would know that this is not a fluke year he just is that good and columbus missed that jewel they had. Just look at the between the leg goal vs sharks that shows he is comfortable in the league now and will only get better.
There is no questioning here...#wildbill is a savage. His Hockey sense is just stuuupid which is his greatest strength but this year he has showed he has all the tools. Speed, vision , grit, a ridiculous shot (wrister especially) and plays solid defence. Absolutely showed he can be a 1 first line player , btw reilly smith is a nice support for his breakout year but very underrated imo. Not even a fan but #goknightsgo at this point man...what a story.
Kryzgonite MC Dont get me wrong, I love Wild Bill, but if you expect him to keep this scoring uo you are insane. He has one of the highest shooting percentages in the entire league.
You're the Vegas Golden Knights of hockey analysts. You're ahead of the game with your videos, your analysis, and your topics. All the mainstream hockey talk from the big sports networks are like vanilla or sticks in the mud. They need to get a clue like how these old NHL GMs will soon with Vegas. Great vid, enjoy all your videos.
This kind of reminds me of the 1995 NFL expansion when the Panthers and Jaguars came into the league and in their 2nd year were in their respective conferences championship games. By the time the Browns came back the league adjusted their expansion draft and the Browns have been crappy ever since.
Nice. I did some sort of analysis on this (minus the transaction details). One of the missed factors also though is the presence of NMC's that HAD to be protected. NMC's did not exist in 2000. That gives a greater advantage to VGK. Also, Gallant as the available HC was a biggie.
Perron had the best summary: He answered the press about their success. "There are no cliques in the locker room."
One thing also to remember- MIN and CBJ expansion fees v VGK fee had the VGK go up 9.5%/yr. Not a bad growth rate, but let's remember different dollars, split fewer ways in 1997 (not 2000).
Regarding MAF, you also have to remember that he waived his NMC to save the Pens bacon on Murray. He didn't have to do that.
"Brad Pitt MUST play George McPhee"
You could argue getting a Jack Adams winner in Gallant for their first head coach was as much a key factor for their success this season.
Keep in mind, its easy to look back now and say "This team was set up with great players from the start." but remember that most people still expected them to suck even after the draft. There were a lot of reports about how bad the draft was for them and how they only got 2 noteworthy players (Neal and Flower) and lots of questioning McPhee and the decision making. The players are playing with chips on their shoulders, having career years, and coming together to play some good solid hockey. The stadium is always packed and loud, too, which probably helps a ton.
0:10 VGK used a snippet of it during their intro for the Western Conference Final. Taken out of context but they wanted to rile up their fans.
Amazing.
That moment when Vegas uses your voice in the pregame show
People also seem to forget that their AHL team also finished top 5 in the league
and Nicolas Hague was a 30 goal scoring defensiveman signed to the knights. Might be a huge help next year.
This makes my little heart so happy. To see that this is very sustainable is so much fun!
This video here made me really appreciate Vegas as a franchise. I couldn't STAND them being so good but honestly this really opened my eyes as to who the team actually is. I have an uncle in Vegas and he LOVES the knights and I think I will too... Really excited to see about their future. GO KNIGHTS!!!!
I was watching the expansion draft and I knew they were in the playoffs but I didn't expect them to go this deep until closer to the end of the season when they really showed they deserved a chance at the cup
Thank you Hockey Guy....I always learn a lot from you.
I'm a sens fan, and i cheer for winnipeg in the playoffs cuz they're a small canadien town like ottawa, but man is it hard not to cheer Vegas. If preds win tommorow i hope vegas wins it all
Great video. Flyers fan here that’s been rooting for them since philly got knocked out. I really hope they finish this run.
I really think that Fleury is cementing his foothold in the Hall of Fame. I think some team would have given Pittsburgh a 2nd for Fleury and I thought that he was going to be Vegas pick.
Now having young players means that the potential is there and sometimes its the ice time that isn't for a lot of these players.
"Look at the celebrations when they score goals"
I said the same thing early on, and again after the celebration from the 2OT against the Kings. It wasn't that they won, it was their celebration afterwards. You can see how much they have invested in every single goal they score. Watch the video of Haula scoring the 2OT winner... The team celebrates like they won the cup, for a game two victory. And they seemingly still have energy after a nearly 5 hour long game.
Honestly have looked at Vegas as an amazing story since the beginning. Not on the bandwagon necessarily but very happy to see those players succeed so much.
Do the rat trick video!
I am liking the Tartar trade more and more as a Wings fan. 4 picks in the top 36 picks in this year's draft. Not too shabby to start rebuilding with. Shades of 1989 perhaps?
I'm a ducks fan at heart but, it's hard not to like the vagas golden knights they have such a good team I wouldn't be surprised if they won the whole thing this year. They play with the fire they need to its great. GO KNIGHTS GO!!!
Vegas comes down to McPhee being smart and players that work really hard and play better than anyone expected. I dont see a point in expansion teams being a punching bag. I only see teams saying it unfair because their team sucks now. Well whos fault is that probably the gms and the players not playing good enough.
I agree, i don't blame the NHL for doing what they did to make sure Vegas had a quality team.
$500mil deserves a at least a good chance at a good team.
Plus like you said, filling expansion teams with bottom of the barrel players doesn't work well. Teams struggle, fans stop going to games and several teams have moved.
I don't think the NHL had any idea Vegas would be THIS good though but that credit belongs to Mcphee and everyone of those players that are playing their asses off!
I'm a Pens fan and it would be awesome to see Vegas win. Great story, and seeing Fleury playing like he is and showing that he's a HOF'er is awesome to see.
The Vegas 2017 draft class is incredibly good.Top 4 picks look like they could all be impact NHL guys, and I wouldn't be surprised if Rondbjerg Elvenes and Dugan make it to the NHL some day.
Love the analysis. You were right. At season start, everyone was saying that Vegas would be last. Even the sports books had long shot odds on them.
And now, look at them. Deadly as ever and the envy of the hockey world.
I tell you, the governor’s mansion is going to be vacant soon. And I can guaran-damn-tee you that if McPhee ran for governor and Gallant ran for lt. governor, they would win in a landslide!!!!!! “For Vegas reasons.” 🤣🤣🤣
The more expansion happens, the bigger the salary cap. Cheer for expansion teams to do well!
yes make a video about the rat trick
Thank you for the amazing explanation! You did a great job :)
First off, Ed Harris plays Gallant.
Do a video on the rat trick please.
As a Pittsburgher and long time Penguins fan, I was scratching my head over my beloved team's move before Vegas' expansion draft. Everyone knew they were going to pick MAF. There was no other goaltender available who could even be mentioned in the same sentence as #29. Why did we just give them a #2 draft pick? If George McPhee had pushed it, I'm sorry, my response would've been, "Yeah, we'll take our chances and keep our #2. Nice try." Having said that, nothing but the best of luck to Vegas in the Finals and I'm going to be cheering when Marc Andre Fleury gets handed the Conn Smythe.
to be fair the teams giving away the players in the expansion draft in 2000 had 3 years to prepare, while the teams in the vegas expansion draft had a year to prepare and by the time vegas was announced most of the contracts were already set in stone
very well put together video. imagine if you talked about picks too omg
I wish most of the Canadian teams had smart management.
Its the curse I tell you THE CURSE
There's no curse it's called they suck
Hockey, like EVERYTHING in life, is nothing more than BUSINESS, From Pee Wee to the Big Pond and ALL stops in between.
is this true Wikipedia has named Vegas over Detroit as hockey town USA?
Great analysis ... Vegas got good players for 1/2 a Billion dollars. I see Seattle doing almost as well ... not a finals visit but playoffs in first year.
Vegas made a fool of the league. Especially Florida. Idk what they were thinking. Smith and Marchesault are 2 of Vegas's best players
My Golden Knights rant....
In the NBA, the Sacramento Kings current ownership paid 500 mil to keep the team from moving to Seattle. The fact that the league was involved from the start regarding the possible relocation as the previous ownership group was risking bankruptcy, meant that, In a sense, Sacramento outbid Seattle to the rights to the team (the bid from Sacramento also included a new downtown arena that Seattle couldn’t offer). Finally considering this process meant the complete overhaul of the organizational heads (Owner/GM/Coach) it really felt like (at least that first season) that an expansion franchise was coming into Sacramento. Only problem....with the same low level talent, little opportunity to overhaul the roster & the same reputation of a failed franchise that couldn’t attract big name free agents. And all of that (and the fact they play in the sharks division & knocked them out of the playoffs) is the reason why I hate that Vegas has been so successful this season. But hey, if they keep Ovechkin from winning a cup, more power to them
Yes please do a video on the rat trick.
The team may be new but the players weren't born yesterday. They deserve winning. The players and coaches have been in this league for as long as anybody. They probably arnt even close to the youngest team.
Edit: I wrote this right before you said something similar.
you make a sport that is inaccessible to a complete noob. with this video i understood why vegas is doing so well and will be watching more of your vids.
Cant wait for that movie!
I am very surprised with Vegas' success. This video gave me an understanding on why they were so successful. Have you seen their pregame? It is very entertaining. Of course, I was one of those who thought, "They're an expansion team. They're going to get their butts kicked." That didn't happen though. Plus the fact that they have a good goaltender helps.
Omg...So glad Shannon's channel is better than Post to Post, their voices make me sleepy...but Shannon..love your channel...
Post to post is boring...maybe if they didnt sound bored for most of it....Shannon has the best responses, he is lively..his facial expressions..hysterical
Some prefer strawberry ice cream to chocolate. Others are sometimes in a strawberry mood and in a chocolate mood at other times. I usually prefer a mix of both in like a sundae, with some nuts and honey or syrup in the form of other channels added on top and spoon-mashed into it. I'm hungry for dessert now, but I digress.
I don't have to put one down to pick another up. THG's my absolute favorite, but I enjoy a lot of hockey talk both on and off TH-cam. Variety's the spice. And yes, it's pretty much a no-brainer that a Habs fan born and raised in Atlantic Canada might enjoy the content of a couple of other Habs fans from the same area. I have a lot of good things to say about a lot of hockey TH-cam'rs, and to any I might not care for I just don't say anything about them, on their channel or on any other. Sorry you find us Maritimers boring though, K H. ;P
You took it quite personal to point out a people from an origin because I dislike their voices and show? Lol ridiculous. But you make a very good point, I like third party reviews of folks who are unbiased. Shannon it is. He isn't a fan of my team, but he is fair on his analysis. I will keep Shannon, you enjoy the Habs fans reviews. Beat of luck.
I didn't take it personally at all. It's just dry Maritime sarcasm mixed in with good-natured self deprecation. I thought the tongue out and wink would help but I guess I failed there. I normally enjoy and look forward to reading what you have to say in Comments and like the hockey people I like and care for, if I didn't I wouldn't have bothered taking the time to reply here.
K H sometimes they will review an nhl hat and the video is 47 mins long hahaha
I'm never apart of a band wagon. I was cheering for my home town team the second I heard Vegas is getting a nhl team
Oh and you forgot that Vegas is exempt from the Seattle expansion draft. In return, they don't collect 1/31st of the Seattle expansion payment. But imagine how that going to play out in the free agent market and trade deadlines prior to the expansion.
You can explain all these different scenarios. The one constant is signing a HALL OF FAME GOALTENDER. Without Fleury there's nothing to talk about. Just my opinion.
The right players the right coach and the right time..... Go Vegas From a RedWing Fan !!!!!!!
BANDWAGON MUCH???
Nope I Cant stand The Crapitals the only time i cheer for them is when they play Crybaby Crosby......
My teacher thought Vegas had too much of an advantage... Then I pointed out that nobody wanted these players but vegas
cam walker if they wanted the players they would have protected them
cam walker you know what manners are right
cam walker with all the biasness and unnecessary shouting are you sure you're not Jack Edwards
cam walker if you go around insulting every girl you meet you never getting a girlfriend
cam walker definition of linear- arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line.
Tatar trade will prove out. He came in late and simply did not have ample time to mesh with the chemistry that developed over the regular season. The roster will look much different on opening day next year and Tatar will have had time to acclimate.
Basically what I got from this is George McPhee was playing chess while the other GMs were playing go fish. Lol
not sure how florida thought letting go of 30-goal scoring marchessault was a good idea.
Fleury had a no trade clause in his contract. He asked for that removed so they could use him and protect Matt Murray. Pittsburgh originally was going to protect Fleury.
I have nothing against anything Vegas has done. Good on the players for getting to where they are, HOWEVER with a clean slate Vegas is operating from a position of power and can exploit cap strapped teams in any deal they make. Gives them huuuuuuuuge leverage. But hey the owners signed off on this so they’ve only themselves to blame but I can’t see them being happy about the rules when the Seattle expansion draft rolls around...
1000% Agree Hockey Guy, McPhee's first project just needed to reach fruition first! ;)
GO CAPS!
Having a chip on your shoulder and the idea that you have something to prove is some pretty good motivation