The Athletic’s latest contention map doesn’t put the Golden Knights in the danger zone, and that’s the part Vegas fans should hang onto.
Dom Luszczyszyn and Scott Wheeler ranked all 32 NHL teams in the league’s contention cycle, and the Golden Knights landed in “Win Now” mode. That alone says plenty. More important for Vegas, the move also came with a step farther away from the “Time to Rebuild” label, a boost that followed their surprising Stanley Cup Final run.
The bigger picture is just as friendly to Vegas. In the Pacific Division, more than half the teams are in rebuilding mode.
Only three teams are outside that group: the Ducks, the Golden Knights and the Oilers. That gives Vegas a much cleaner runway than a lot of clubs around them.
Some of the division’s other teams are already being pushed toward the reset button. The Flames, Kraken and Canucks are all in rebuilding mode, while the Sharks are viewed as a team that could take a step this upcoming season after what they did in the offseason. The Kings, meanwhile, are firmly in the “Time to Rebuild” category, with an aging roster and no true standout stars.
That doesn’t mean the Knights can just coast. They still have issues of their own, and age is one of them.
Vegas is tied for the third-oldest group heading into the 2026-27 season, with an average age of 30. A number of key players are already past 30, which is enough to make some fans uneasy.
Even so, the overall read from The Athletic is clear: Vegas is still built to chase now. With an ownership group committed to winning and a stable front office, the Golden Knights remain in the mix for the league’s best players. Add Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner to the picture, and the case for Vegas staying relevant only gets stronger.
One more wrinkle from the map: no Pacific Division teams landed in “No Man’s Land,” and no Western Conference team did either. That category instead went to the Bruins, Devils, Rangers and Maple Leafs.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Linked To An All-In Goalie Gamble
The idea of Vegas making an all-in push for another elite goalie has surfaced again, and this one carries the kind of appetite for risk that has long defined Kelly McCrimmons approach. A Bleacher Report trade proposal would send Connor Hellebuyck from Winnipeg to the Golden Knights in a package built around Adin Hill, a 2028 first-round pick and Braeden Bowman, a framework that at least reflects how badly teams have had to work to even start talking about Hellebuyck.
The challenge, of course, is that Hellebuyck has been notoriously hard to move because of the steep price attached to him, and any serious deal could require Vegas to add even more. Still, the fit is obvious enough to keep the speculation alive: if the Golden Knights want to swing big, this is the kind of move that would fit McCrimmons aggressive history, even if getting it across the finish line would not be simple. [Read more 🡒]
Mark Stone Just Made His Commitment To Vegas Crystal Clear
Mark Stones future in Vegas is settled for a while longer, and the details say plenty about how both sides view the relationship. The Golden Knights captain signed a two-year extension worth $9 million annually, a deal that also includes a full no-move clause, underscoring just how central he remains to the franchise after eight seasons of being one of its defining players.
Stone also made his feelings clear in a recent interview, framing his commitment not just around the team but around the Las Vegas community as well. For a player who has helped shape the Golden Knights rise and has long been one of their most important pieces, the only real question now is how this extended run in Vegas adds to an already significant legacy. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Fans Just Got A Tough Ryan Reaves Goodbye
Ryan Reaves is hanging up his skates after 16 NHL seasons, closing the book on a career that still carries real meaning in Vegas. For Golden Knights fans, he was more than just a physical presence. He spent four seasons with the franchise, showed up in 209 games, and became part of the teams early identity while piling up 18 goals and 24 assists along the way.
Reaves ends his career with 66 goals, 74 assists and 3,225 hits, a line that tells you exactly what kind of player he was for a long time. He also spent part of last season with the San Jose Sharks, but in Vegas he was one of the more recognizable names from the clubs first chapter, and his retirement leaves another reminder of how quickly those original Golden Knights pieces are drifting into the past. [Read more 🡒]