Lawless: Don't Believe All You Hear

The narrative says Vegas Golden Knights management has built its roster going after every available shiny toy. It's false. Much like the fable which states the Golden Knights lead the NHL in player turnover.

Sure, Vegas hockey ops has swung for the fences and made huge deals for players like Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Alex Pietrangelo and Jack Eichel. Elite players are required on elite teams. Any fanbase would want its GM to be in on players of this ilk when they're made available. Vegas just happens to get the job done on a consistent basis.
There has also been lots of stealth work from the scouting staff to find useful players up and down the roster. Chandler Stephenson, Zach Whitecloud, Brett Howden, Nicolas Roy, Logan Thompson, Adin Hill and Laurent Brossoit to name a few are all in their 20s and came in quiet deals.
The Golden Knights, contrary to the notion that they chase every buster on the block, have quietly built a roster deep in 20-somethings with a combination of both the expansion and amateur drafts as well as trades, waiver wire claims and free agency.
Vegas has 16 players in their 20s on the roster and another eight in their 30s. That total of 20-somethings ranks 12th in the NHL.
Considering hockey operations president George McPhee and GM Kelly McCrimmon had limited access to young players when they built their original roster in the expansion draft, the group has done a remarkable job backfilling with players just hitting their prime.
Draft and develop takes time. Time which for McCrimmon and McPhee disappeared when the inaugural Misfits clawed their way to the Stanley Cup Final.
Should they have taken a step back and instituted a rebuild? Of course not. They needed to step on the gas. But it hasn't been done without forethought and planning.
Yes, there's been a cost in terms of prospects and picks. The ultimate question is what does one value: unknown futures or contributing roster players?
Where a team is in its cycle is key to this answer. For a team which in a six-season span has been to a Stanley Cup, three final fours and four playoff tournaments, the contender window remains wide open as evidenced by the team's current status as top team in the Western Conference standings.
Vegas is very much in the now. McCrimmon and McPhee have used draft capital and prospects to keep the NHL roster humming. Draft picks were used to land high-end talent such as Stone, Eichel and Pacioretty.
Draft picks are valuable. But elite NHL players are the most valuable currency in the game. They win games, clinch playoff berths and push for titles.
As for the untrue assertion which states the Golden Knights don't keep players around, Vegas ranks tied for third in the NHL in player retention since it joined the NHL. The Islanders still have 10 players on their roster from the 2017-18 season while the Lightning have nine. Vegas and the Capitals sit fourth with seven players each.
Last season's historical wave of injuries created a mirage that Vegas had slipped from the higher reaches of the NHL mountain. Not so. The Golden Knights are still primed and in their prime. The method may be different than what we've seen in the NHL but it's returned rewards.
And management continues to push for the ultimate reward. As they should.
20 somethings in Vegas
Goalies
Adin Hill, 26: Acquired from SJS on Aug. 30, 2022
Logan Thompson, 26: Signed as a free agent to a two-year, entry level contract on July 13, 2020
Laurent Brossoit, 29: Signed on July 28, 2021 as a free agent
Skaters
Zach Whitecloud, 26: Signed a three-year, entry level contract as a free agent on Mar. 8, 2018
Jack Eichel, 26: Acquired from BUF on Nov. 4, 2021
Nicolas Roy, 26: Acquired from CAR on Jun. 26, 2019
Nicolas Hague, 24: Selected by VGK in 2017, 2nd round, 3rd pick (34th overall)
Ben Hutton, 29: Signed as an unrestricted free agent on Oct. 28, 2021
Chandler Stephenson, 28: Acquired from WSH on Dec. 2, 2019
Brett Howden, 24: Acquired from NYR on Jul. 17, 2021
Michael Amadio, 26: Claimed off waivers on Oct. 30, 2021
Shea Theodore, 27: Selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft
William Carrier, 28: Selected in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft
Paul Cotter, 23: Selected 2018 by VGK, 4th round, 22nd pick (115th overall)
Ivan Barbashev, 27: Acquired from STL on Feb. 26, 2023
Keegan Kolesar, 25: Acquired from CBJ on Jun. 24, 2017