The Athletic’s latest front-office poll says the Golden Knights aren’t drawing quite the same level of trust they once did, even after another trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Vegas landed 11th in the rankings, a spot that may catch some people off guard given where the franchise stood just one season ago.
The poll, posted Thursday, measured how people feel about each team’s management group, taking into account both its own fan base and the wider public. For the Golden Knights, the result suggests the glow around Kelly McCrimmon’s operation has dimmed a bit - at least in the eyes of some observers.
That reaction comes on the heels of a busy roster reset in Las Vegas. The Golden Knights have moved on from Kaedan Korczak, Keegan Kolesar, and Pavel Dorofeyev, while bringing in lower-cost options like Victor Olofsson and Parker Wotherspoon to ease the salary-cap picture.
Still, it would be a stretch to say McCrimmon has lost the room entirely. Vegas just reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2025-26, even after posting the worst regular season in franchise history.
McCrimmon also made a bold coaching change, bringing in John Tortorella and moving on from Bruce Cassidy. The result was a Pacific Division title and, later, a Western Conference crown.
The roster isn’t spotless. Goaltending remains a concern, and the team still lacks a high-profile shooter.
Those issues could become a bigger problem if the Golden Knights stumble early in the regular season. But the core is still dangerous, and McCrimmon has already built around names like Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Tomas Hertl.
That’s the part that still buys him time. A general manager who has taken his team to the Stanley Cup Final twice in four seasons deserves some margin for error, especially after getting back there again. For now, the doubts may be there, but the benefit of the doubt is too.
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 🡒]