This season, the Golden Knights’ top two scorers are smack dab in the primes of their careers. Chandler Stephenson’s All Star campaign has the 28-year-old on 50 points in 61 games while Jack Eichel leads the team with 22 goals and has tallied 45 points in 48 games.
The next group of players on the Golden Knights’ scoring list are not exactly in their primes though. Six of the next seven top scorers (so 6 of 9 overall) are at least 30 years old. The first player under the age of 26 on the stat sheet is Paul Cotter, checking in as the 13th-highest point producer on the team, and expected to be a healthy scratch tonight.
Simply put, the Golden Knights are old, or at the very least, their most effective players are old.
47.9% of the offense has come from 10 players aged 30 or above. Only five teams in the NHL have received more ice time from 30+-year-old players, and three of them have won a Stanley Cup in the last six seasons. VGK’s 240 points from 30+-year-olds is 4th most in the league behind Washington (373), Pittsburgh (311), Boston (277), and the New York Islanders (255).
In the present, that’s really not a problem at all. The problem lies in the group of younger players behind 30+’s. The Golden Knights have used 20 players under the age of 30 this season, so there are plenty of 20 somethings to choose from. However, outside of Eichel, Stephenson, William Carrier, and for his age Cotter, that group has not made much of an impact.
Despite ranking outside of the bottom 10 in games played, VGK rank in the bottom five in goals, assists, points, and points per 60 by players aged 25 or younger.
Now, you may be saying, “ok, but Eichel is 26, add him in.” With Eichel included, the Golden Knights rank 25th in goals, 28th in assists, 26th in points, and 29th in points per 60 by players aged 26 or younger.
It looks even worse in graphical form, including when you add in 27-year-old Shea Theodore, and 28-year-olds Stephenson and Carrier
| ≤25 | ≤26 | ≤27 | ≤28 | ≥30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 317 (22nd) | 449 (20th) | 491 (24th) | 605 (21st) | 453 (9th) |
| Time On Ice | 4529 (23rd) | 6611 (22nd) | 7515 (23rd) | 9380 (24th) | 8198 (6th) |
| Goals | 36 (T-26th) | 67 (25th) | 73 (26th) | 101 (22nd) | 86 (6th) |
| Assists | 49 (28th) | 85 (28th) | 111 (28th) | 157 (T-20th) | 154 (4th) |
| Points | 84 (28th) | 152 (26th) | 184 (26th) | 258 (23rd) | 240 (5th) |
| Points/60 | 1.11 (30th) | 1.38 (29th) | 1.47 (27th) | 1.65 (20th) | 1.76 (7th) |
As an aging team, the Golden Knights will eventually have to look to their prospect pool in order to replace the production from veterans. Unfortunately, the Vegas prospect pool is less than bustling. The Athletic recently ranked VGK’s prospect pool as the 23rd best in the league, and that was before they traded the #3 ranked prospect on that list, Zach Dean.
The same publication, The Athletic, but a different writer, ranked the top 154 players under the age of 23, the Golden Knights were represented just once, by Lukas Cormier who checked in at #134.
The Golden Knights have just one 1st round pick remaining in the system after having eight selections over their first six drafts. They are also missing their 2nd, 4th, and 5th round picks from 2023 and a 4th round selection from 2024 (they do have an extra 2023 3rd).
Their trade deadline acquisitions this year don’t solve the problem either. All three players added are on expiring contracts, and while Barbashev and Blueger are both under 30 (27 and 28 respectively), neither are expected to contribute majorly offensively.
The Golden Knights remain one of the better teams in the Western Conference, but they are doing it with a roster heavily reliant on aging players. Without much in the pipeline, the future continues to look quite grim.
Knights fan in minnie
Unless its a teen, I prefer older guys
knights fan in minny
fuck off fake ass poster no one cares what you have to say everyone on here knows your a dumb ass piece of shit loser nice try ass hole get lost loser
Pistol Pete
That’s the price an expansion team pays when they go out into the market to buy talent without ever giving themselves a chance to finish in last place in order to get the low pick like Seattle last season. It’s a trade off and a deliberate decision by Foley. The good news is there’s a few years to draft and and develop prospects before the window closes. Picks don’t always have to low to become impact players.
Emmanuel
Their 2 lowest picks were busts……
Pistol Pete
Trying to think of any low round pick they traded who amounted to anything except Suzuki. Glass and Krebs may they are young, it’s early but no much so far. Glass was the lowest pick. They were actually awarded #6 in the 2017 draft their lowest ever. High impact players do come higher in the picks. Nikita Kucherov was a #58.
Actually Glass is pushing a half a point coming along more than I realized. Krebs improving too. Point is you need a top line center to win a Cup so you trade a Krebs to get it. I forget how Glass was traded but in his case I don’t think there was room on the roster during his development. Yeah perhaps they keep in Henderson. Need to check on that trade. As I recall some fans were skeptical on his potential and wanted him to be traded.
Pistol Pete
That was a straight up swap Glass for Nolan Patrick in a three trade with PHI and NSH. Patrick was damaged goods with abdominal surgery for a hernia plus what later came to be known as a congenital migraine headaches disorder. Vegas must have know they were taking a chance with the health issues but Patrick’s game had more readily translated to the NHL than Glass’ at that point in time. Patrick was the #2 pick in Glass’s draft (2017). Did not work out with Patrick’s health. I always suspected Glass’ game was just in a slow development path but like many went along with the trade as it seemed Glass was not developing quickly enough to make the Vegas roster plus he looked a step behind at that time which can be misleading with young players. Glass might just become a damn good NHL actually but it was not all that easy to see at the time. After all, we are not scouts.
Pistol Pete
Always liked Cody. Nice to see his game scaling up. Too bad we did’t have the time to continue his development here. I’m hopeful Dorofeyev will progress as Glass has. Definitely some similarities. I believe Glass is around six months older.
Emmanuel
That was a VERY weak draft.
knights fan in minny
let’s see what buluger whale can do another tough one tonight
Jailbird
Looks like Knights made no additional moves today. Ok by me. If our goaltending holds up, I think we can compete with anyone. We will see our other new forward tonight vs Devils. Go get them boys!
knights fan in minny
if they play like they did against the canes they have a shot no mier for the devils should be a good one
knights fan in minny
if they play like they did against the canes they have a shot no mier for the devils should be a good one
DeezNutz
Unfortunately the Misfits age is starting to show and they are a half step slower with each passing year. I honestly think this team’s cup window has closed already but I hope they prove me wrong. They have had a lot of chances but couldn’t get it done. I always wonder what would have happened if they never got screwed by that not-a-major.
Pistol Pete
As a matter of fact Glass is 1 1/2 years older than Dorofeyev who now has 45 goals in 118 pistol AHL games an 82 game pace of 31.
Sorvino
DeezNutz,
I agree that perhaps their cup window may have closed, but I think we got one more shot at it this year, considering that the Western Conference isn’t quite that strong. I am pleased that they didn’t trade away a bunch of draft picks this year.
I would like to see a transition to start getting younger next year. While Alec Martinez will be important for a playoff run this year, I would like to see him get moved next year to start getting younger. He is injury prone and we are fortunate that he has remained healthy this year.
Another guy I would like to see moved is our oldest forward not named Phil and that’s Jonathan Marchessault. We are starting to see the decline. However with only two more years remaining on his contract. I believe this is a player that can be moved.
Moving those two frees up over 10 million of cap space.
But that’s a conversation for the summer.
TS
Deeznuts, I think your comment on Marchy is premature, considering his 2 goals vs Devils. Marchy is the one, steady guy who isn’t afraid to attack the net, despite his size! He brings his passion, energy and scrappy attitude to every game— he’s the spirit and drive on the team, and we’d be crazy to trade him!! Just my opinion!
THE hockey GOD
Older the hockey player, the better they can play, examples:
Gordie Howe played in five decades
Johnny Bucyk “the chief”
Selanne
Nick Lindstrom
Alex Delvecchio
Gump Worsley, the gumper
Keon
Oates
Francis
Larionov
Ray Borque
Jagr
Yzerman
Bobby
Hull
I remember in 1974 all the WHA oldtimers who didn’t play in the ’72 summit series (in which Bobby Orr missed, but Phil Esposito put on a clinic, the best hockey he ever played in his career. And it took a toll as the dirty Russian players kept soccer kicker him with their skates, Russians= dirty, very dirty). And they played the top team in world, the Russian Red Army team to a stand off. And all their players were pretty old at the time. Howe, Hull, Ellis, and others.
Emmanuel
Ive seen that series in full 3 times. The Canadians where the dirty ones, be honest.
TS
Thg, agreed. Just when has EXPERIENCE AND WISDOM been a BAD THING?? N.E.V.E.R. Marchy: case in point: 2G vs Devils. Nuff said!
THE hockey GOD
GMGM comments translated on trade dead line deals
“the irrational shiny object attainment exuberance level didn’t pan out this time around. But we got a good grinder, a mucker, and a washed up goalie. And we didn’t pay much over that a bag of day old Rusty doughnuts to get them”.
– translated by Hockey God proof editor aka Moe Dombromski.
THE hockey GOD
Cotter appears to be odd man out, as coaching staff appears
to favor experience over youth.
Well that sort of fits in with theme of today’s article.
BTW practice stands was a more busy today with Quick in the nets and bevy of press in the stands.
DeezNutz
Sorvino:
I’d like to move on from Marchy, Karlsson, Marty and Howden then go from there.
THG:
I agree some players age really well but the Misfit style of rush hockey does not unfortunately.
THE hockey GOD
THE AHL ALERT
feee fiii FOOO fum ! Alert. Foo gets a goal !!
HSK seem to be picking it up a bit, added a few veterans. Like G SMith who is playing very well. Seville got call up after the VGK traded their other AHL goalie, and LB is on IR. He will rotate with PAtera. He played well in last nite’s game.
THE hockey God
Bad ice prevented VGK from making more trades
knights fan in minny
shut up you drunk piece of shit fake ass poster from north las vegas scorpion squad coming to lump your boys
Alex
Amazing how easy it is to wind up these racist trailer park idiots! HAHAHA
knights fan in minny
you did not wind me up i enjoy insulting pieces of shit like like you i read there was a shooting in north las vegas last night were you the shooter you thug piece of shit scorpion squad coming to thump your brothers well deserved thumping
Alex
Code – all wound up yet again! LOL
TS
At ease, boys…stand down, gooofballs! Can you two at least TRY to ignore one another??? Please!?!?
knights fan in minny
wound up over a piece of shit like you guess again dumb fuck malt liquor drinking thug
Ken Hates The FO
Okay, this is kind of a dumb article, I have to admit. First off, 3 of the current top 4 scorers are 30 or under. Then you have the expansion impact, that YES, they traded a bunch of young players for stars.
Lastly, at the current time, they have a coach in Cassidy who just plain doesn’t play young players.
I get the general reasoning for needing some content and throwing together a story like this but it seems a TINY bit disingenuous, just to try to make a point.
Jose
Los New Jersey Devils están jugando mucho mejor que los Vegas Golden Knights.
Knights fan in minnie
Hey you greaser, this is america! Speak English !
knights fan in minny
speak nig nog fake ass poster piece of shit racist.
Jose
La mitad de la gente que vive en este país de mierda habla español. Te voy a joder, impostor chupapollas que finge ser fanático de knights fan in minny.
Jose
Jonathan Marchessault está teniendo un gran juego.
THE hockey GOD
Si Jose, donde estan las mujeres ?
te gusta jethro tull ?