Stastny hoping to be missing piece for Golden Knights

ST. LOUIS --Paul Stastny believes the Vegas Golden Knights can carry over their success and compete for the Stanley Cup again this season.

The 32-year-old center, who spent last season with the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues, signed a contract as an unrestricted free agent with Vegas on July 1. In their inaugural season, the Golden Knights reached the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.
"You know they have a good foundation," Stastny said Monday at the St. Louis AAA Blues Celebrity Golf Classic. "I think they play the right way. Last year, they played with a chip on their shoulder. I think they surprised everyone, and I think this year, it's almost going to be the same thing, outsiders will probably say last year was a potential fluke. But in this league, nothing's a fluke. I think they played 82 games plus another 20-plus games in the playoffs. You've constantly got to prove yourself.
"I'm up for the challenge, I'm up for helping the younger guys and try to fit in, help out with that secondary scoring."
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Stastny, who was traded to the Jets on Feb. 26, faced the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing in five games in the Western Conference Final. He saw many positives to joining them this season.
"Once we played them and all of a sudden they became a viable option, you realize how hard they were to play against," Stastny said. "Not just playoffs but the regular season. They have a lot of depth. They don't have that just one premier superstar, but they have a lot of good players and they all play the same way. So whether you go up against their top line or go up against their fourth line, they're going to play that aggressive style. I think that's what made them really successful."
Stastny admitted he doesn't know much about the Vegas roster or have experience playing with any players besides forward Ryan Reaves, his former teammate with the Blues.
"When I talked to [Reaves], he had just signed like an hour before when I was narrowing it down when I had a couple questions about Vegas," Stastny said. "That makes it a little easier, at least for the first couple days. But once you get around the hockey guys and the environment, I think everyone's then cut from the same cloth and everyone jells and gets along pretty quick."

Stastny had 53 points (16 goals, 37 assists) in 82 games last season with the Jets and Blues; he had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 17 playoff games with Winnipeg.
The Blues and Jets were each an option for Stastny but ultimately, the Golden Knights' core with forwards William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault was too good to pass up.
"I've worked hard in my career and have developed a reputation for myself," Stastny, who has 646 points (220 goals, 436 assists) in 824 regular-season games said. "I know what I can bring to teams, and I think teams know what I can bring to a table. To be in that situation obviously, I'm blessed and very lucky. Obviously it's a lot of hard work and playing with a lot of good teammates puts you in that position. It was fun and stressful and a lot of anxiety. In the end, I'm happy it's over with. I feel very fortunate."