A New York Times writer has taken a long look at where the Vegas Golden Knights might stand five years from now, and the verdict isn’t especially flattering. Corey Pronman of The Athletic ranked all 32 teams by their outlook over that span and slotted Vegas at No. 22.
Pronman pointed to the franchise’s aggressive roster-building style as the reason for the concern. “For years, Vegas has adopted an all-in approach to its roster building in pursuit of Stanley Cup rings. At some point the bill will come due, and I think in 3-5 years is a reasonable timeframe for that to happen.”
That view isn’t exactly hard to understand. The Golden Knights have made a habit of moving first-round picks in deals aimed at helping them right now, which has fueled plenty of skepticism about the state of their draft pipeline and front office decision-making. But the broader picture in the Pacific Division gives Vegas a cushion that makes the future look a little less bleak than Pronman’s ranking might suggest.
Four Pacific teams landed behind the Golden Knights in the same list: the Seattle Kraken at 23rd, the Los Angeles Kings at 24th, the Calgary Flames at 29th and the Vancouver Canucks at 32nd. That kind of division makeup would leave Vegas in line for a playoff spot more often than not, simply because so many of its neighbors are projected to be stuck in the same mud.
There are wrinkles, though. The Edmonton Oilers checked in at 15th, but the source also notes their roster is one of the league’s oldest and that a thinning prospect pool, along with a lack of appeal as a hockey city, makes their future feel less certain than the ranking alone might indicate.
Then there are the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks, both described as being weighed down by heavy contracts. The source specifically points to Macklin Celebrini’s $18.8 million AAV deal and Leo Carlsson’s $18 million AAV deal as factors that could cut into depth and expose weaknesses across the lineup.
For Vegas, the case for staying relevant starts with Kelly McCrimmon’s roster management. The Golden Knights’ general manager has generally kept the lineup balanced, even if he occasionally makes the kind of splashy move that comes with a price tag above $10 million AAV, such as Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. That approach has helped produce two Stanley Cup Final appearances in the last four seasons.
It also fits the organization’s identity. The Golden Knights have never really played the long game in the traditional sense, and that willingness to adjust on the fly has been part of why they’ve been so successful.
Nobody expected this team to be elite from the jump, either. The rest, as the results show, is history.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Still Have One Roster Hunt Fans Should Watch
The Golden Knights head into opening night with roughly $1.9 million in salary-cap space, and that leaves them with at least one more roster conversation worth watching. After a busy stretch of changes, the front office still has room to keep exploring veteran help, especially as the PTO market remains part of the picture for unsigned players looking to extend their careers and teams looking for low-risk options.
Matt Grzelcyk, James van Riemsdyk and Vladimir Tarasenko are among the names that could surface if Vegas decides to bring in another body on a professional tryout contract. Each would bring a different kind of value, and the appeal for the Golden Knights is obvious: there is still flexibility here, but not enough to be casual about it, which is why the next move could say a lot about how the roster settles before the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Chose Patience While Familiar Faces Cashed In Elsewhere
The Golden Knights spent much of the offseason taking the slower, steadier route, keeping their own business in order while a flurry of big-money deals rippled across the league. Vegas extended Rasmus Andersson, brought back Victor Olofsson and made a coaching change by promoting Ryan Craig after parting ways with John Tortorella, a set of moves that looked modest next to the headline-grabbing contracts being handed out elsewhere.
Among the familiar names cashing in were former Golden Knights Alex Tuch and Pavel Dorofeyev, who both landed long-term security with the Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, respectively. Those deals are the kind that can look smart or risky depending on how the next few seasons unfold, and they also underscore how deliberately Vegas chose its own path, betting that patience and restraint may age better than the rush to lock in every major piece on the market. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Just Got A Dynasty-Level Stanley Cup Case
The NHLs next five-year window has a handful of clubs with a real chance to keep the Stanley Cup conversation crowded, and Vegas is right in that mix. The Golden Knights have already shown what a modern contender can look like, with a roster built to compete immediately and an organization that has spent recent seasons establishing itself among the leagues most dangerous teams. For a team like Vegas, the standard is no longer just making noise in the West, but staying positioned to chase the Cup year after year.
Still, the broader argument around the league is shifting as Carolina gets framed as the team with the clearest dynasty-level case. The Hurricanes are being measured not only against recent champions, but against other heavyweight threats such as Dallas, Montreal, Colorado, and Vegas, each of them carrying their own combination of talent, coaching stability, and recent playoff relevance. For the Golden Knights, that means the pressure stays constant: the path is there, but so is the competition. [Read more 🡒]