VGK’s Bargain Binners Significantly Over-Performed In Cup Run

(Photo Credit: @GoldenKnights on Twitter)

This week NHL outlets compiled a team of the biggest bargains of the 2022-23 season. Unfortunately, zero Golden Knights players made the list, nor should they have. When Tage Thompson is the bargain bin’s top center, you can only imagine how skilled the rest of the lines and pairings are.

Sportsnet’s 2022-23 All-Bargain Team:

FORWARDS

Brandon Hagel (TBL) — Tage Thompson (BUF) — Daniel Sprong (SEA)
Michael Bunting (TOR) — David Krejci (BOS) — Gabriel Vilardi (LAK)
Zach Parise (NYI) — Morgan Frost (PHI) — Taylor Raddysh (CHI)
Stefan Noesen (CAR) — Thomas Novak (NSH) — Sonny Milano (WSH)

DEFENSE
Erik Gustafsson (WSH/TOR) — Luke Schenn (VAN/TOR)
Mark Giordano (TOR) — Rasmus Sandin (TOR/WSH)
P.O. Joseph (PIT) — Sebastian Aho (NYI)

GOALIES
Stuart Skinner (EDM)
Filip Gustavsson (MIN)

So, maybe there wasn’t enough room for VGK’s valued players, but several deserve praise after their unexpected production during Vegas’ championship run.

Michael Amadio
16 Goals, 11 Assists, +2, 99 Shots On Goal, 2 Game-Winning Goals, 12:13 Average Time On Ice
$762,500 Cap Hit

Amadio’s output was not only surprising in the regular season, but he continued to outperform expectations in the playoffs. In 16 games, the 27-year-old pitched in with five goals and five assists for the Stanley Cup-winning Golden Knights, including a big-time game-winning goal against Winnipeg in double overtime.

As for being a bargain, Amadio scored as many playoff goals (5) as Sebastian Aho ($8.4M AAV), Aleksander Barkov ($10M AAV), Auston Matthews ($11.6M AAV), and Tyler Seguin ($9.85M AAV) in roughly as many games. While Florida was paying Barkov $2M per goal, Vegas was shelling out $152,500 per goal scored by Amadio. Surely, to the everyday Joe, six figures to score a goal seems like a boatload but compared to others mentioned, the Golden Knights got themselves a significant discount.

Adin Hill
25 Starts, (16-7) Record, 61 Goals Allowed, .915 Save %, 2.45 Goals Allowed Average, 16 Quality Starts,
$2,175,000 Cap Hit

We’ve gone over Hill’s Stanley Cup run dozens of times since June 15th. What else can we say? The third-string (or second depending on who you ask) goaltender was outstanding and unstoppable in the three series he suited up for. Hill led all qualified postseason goalies in save percentage, goals allowed average, losses and shutouts and made a fraction of what the rest of the playoff goalies make annually.

Vegas’ backstop earned $4,780 per save, $197,727 per victory, and $1,087,500 per shutout in the postseason. Compared to the three other goaltenders to start 14 games or more, the Golden Knights barely opened their wallet for a postseason victory. The Panthers paid Sergei Bobrovsky $17,094 per save, $833,333 per win, and $10M per shutout. Seattle offered Phillipp Grubauer $15,485 per save and $842,857 per win. Western Conference Finals goalie Jake Oettinger played three more games than Hill and Dallas reimbursed him $8,510 per save, $400K per win, $4M per shutout. Looking back, Hill could be one of the biggest bargains in modern NHL history.

Give it to Brett Howden, that man is living in the blue paint.

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) May 20, 2023

Brett Howden
6 Goals, 7 Assists, +5, 13:04 Average Time On Ice
$863,333 Cap Hit

Like Amadio, Howden massively overperformed in the postseason. The forward played in all 22 playoff games, averaged 13:59 minutes per game, totaled ten points and scored a game-winning overtime goal in the Western Conference Final. Howden scored twice in the opening series vs. Winnipeg, while tallying another two in the Stanley Cup Finals. The newly minted Golden Knight cost only $172,666 per goal, which was around the same as Amadio’s dollar-per-goal rate. With both of them in the lineup, Vegas received well over their expected ROI.

Keegan Kolesar
8 Goals, 10 Assists, +6, 63 Shots On Goal, 279 Hits, 11:28 Average Time On Ice
$1,400,00 Cap Hit

Kolesar might surprise some people for being on this list. He’s not known for his offense or his defense but adds a layer to the Golden Knights that not many other players do. The fourth liner was another surprise contributor during VGK’s Stanley Cup run. Kolesar had five points in 22 games, but they came in big spots. In Game 6 of the WCF, the physical forward assisted the game’s first goal and scored VGK’s third of the series-ending contest. Kolesar landed the third most hits out of any player in the postseason just behind Florida’s Radko Gudas and Sam Bennett. The Panthers were spending $52K per Bennett hit and $27K per Gudas check, whereas the Golden Knights shelled out $17K to Kolesar. Checks tend to get overlooked in the regular season, but they’re magnified in the playoffs. Vegas easily got their return back from Kolesar’s postseason conduct.

This list could extend to include William Carrier, Nic Hague, Nic Roy, and Zach Whitecloud. All four were key contributors during Vegas’ Cup run and earned way more than what their pay stubs state. So, while Vegas’ cheap purchases were overlooked around the league, Golden Knights fans will never forget the efforts of VGK’s lower-paid players.