Last season: 50-22-10, won the Pacific Division, lost in second round to Edmonton.
COACH: Bruce Cassidy (438-228-9-80 and 78 ties over 12 seasons with 3 teams).
SEASON OPENER: Oct. 8 vs. Los Angeles Kings.
DEPARTURES: D Alex Pietrangelo, C/RW Nicolas Roy, D Nic Hague.
ADDITIONS: RW Mitch Marner, F Colton Sissons, D Jeremy Lauzon.
GOALIES: Adin Hill (50-32-13, 2.47 goals-against average, .906 save percentage) and Akira Schmid (3-2-0, 1.26 GAA, .944).
BETMGM
STANLEY CUP ODDS: 8-1.
The Golden Knights go into every season with the intention of winning the Stanley Cup, and anything short of that would be considered a disappointment. They are co-favorites at BetMGM Sportsbook with Pacific Division rival Edmonton, which has made the past two Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers eliminated Vegas in last season's second round, and Cassidy said at the time he expected both clubs to battle for playoff positioning over the coming years. That certainly appears to be the case this season.
The good: There is no lack of star power with Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone headlining a talented locker room. Eichel and Marner combined for 196 points last season, but both are more playmakers than goal scorers. Eichel said he plans to take more shots on net, and he certainly is capable of beating opposing goalies. The top two blue-line pairings (Brayden McNabb/Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin/Zach Whitecloud) are veteran, proven players that fit Cassidy's defensive-minded system.
The not-so-good: Losing Pietrangelo to an injured hip affects Vegas in many ways. In addition to being one of the NHL's top defensemen, he is a respected voice in the locker room. The Golden Knights are hopeful the third defensive pairing of Jeremy Lauzon and Kaedan Korczak will at least be solid, but that remains to be seen. Goaltending was inconsistent last season. Hill has shown he is capable of taking the team to the championship, but he also goes into stretches that force the Golden Knights to try to win shootouts.
Most eyes will be on Eichel and Marner. Eichel is in the final season of an eight-year, $80 million contract and hopes to get a deal done before free agency next year. Marner left his hometown team in Toronto in a sign-and-trade deal that landed him with an eight-year, $96 million deal. He failed to win the Cup with the Maple Leafs, but is one of the keys for making such a run with Vegas.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
