Not a big hockey fan but for those who are, how did an expansion team buck the trend of awful expansion teams and become so good so fast? Coaching? Compilation of talent? Other?
OT: Vegas Golden Knights (NHL)
- Thread starter PhilaPhans
- Start date
Salary caps force teams to expose high priced talented players to expansion drafts.
A lot of factors, but a big one was the expansion draft rules. Hockey teams use 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 2 goalies, and teams could only protect 7 forwards, 3 defensemen and 1 goalie, so LV got a lot of solid players, not team’s garbage. In addition, the NHL hard salary cap meant they were able to select some better players that were left exposed because of their contracts (which LV could easily absorb).
I feel bad for the Seattle people, who will start their team with a draft under the same rules. Teams have over 2 years to prepare for the 2020 Seattle draft, and learned a lot from the LV one, so Seattle is likely to have a weaker group to pick from.
Very well explained. They really wanted this team to be competitive, plus the fact that a coach who should not have been available was available and McPhee is a very experienced GM. And the emotional high they started the season with -- a very long homestand starting with the third game that came immediately after the massacre at the country music festival out here -- gave them a big boost. They did an awesome job honoring the heroes and victims on the night of the home opener, scored three very quick goals and all of a sudden this was a hockey town.
But it all started with the expansion draft rules and the number of players left unprotected because the salaries are so much higher than the last time there was an expansion team. Back then, nobody with any real talent was exposed unless a team really had that many good players.
Oh, and I hate that f-ing team.
But it all started with the expansion draft rules and the number of players left unprotected because the salaries are so much higher than the last time there was an expansion team. Back then, nobody with any real talent was exposed unless a team really had that many good players.
Oh, and I hate that f-ing team.
They got great players like fleury from the penguins who is an incredible goalie so they got players like that off the bat.
All explanations already given here .
Man I love hockey.
Speaking of which, Devils game tonight! Playoff race is a nail biter for sure .
Man I love hockey.
Speaking of which, Devils game tonight! Playoff race is a nail biter for sure .
I don't follow hockey but the Golden Knights Twitter account is pretty funny
There is a Rutgers connection to them as well. General Manager, George McPhee is a Rutgers-Newark law school grad.
https://magazine.rutgers.edu/scarlet-sports/a-sure-bet
There is a Rutgers connection to them as well. General Manager, George McPhee is a Rutgers-Newark law school grad.
https://magazine.rutgers.edu/scarlet-sports/a-sure-bet
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Damn, Florida has been hot. Right on our heels with a game in hand.
Hockey is awesome to watch especially in person...just wish the Flyers weren't garbage. Even if they make the playoffs the Penguins will slaughter them.
The Flyers seem to be cursed since Lindbergh died in that car crash to never have the goaltending they need. Even Mrazek looks worse just from having been traded there.
The Flyers aren't garbage per say, but some of Hakstol's coaching decisions leave a lot to be desired.
As for Vegas, some good info for their success above, especially in regards to the way the expansion draft works, but don't forget about good old fashioned luck. Several of their players have career/break out/comeback seasons at the same time.
As for Vegas, some good info for their success above, especially in regards to the way the expansion draft works, but don't forget about good old fashioned luck. Several of their players have career/break out/comeback seasons at the same time.
Thought the Knights would be a major flop in the desert like the Phoenix Coyotes, but I couldn't have been more wrong. They score a ton, are fun to watch, and have created a lot of local support. They've got some great young talent in Wild Bill, Marchessault, Haula, and even the younger Subban brother in net. They have the best twitter presence of the league already, they've done everything right.
It makes some sense that some of the players they got would show more than they did on their previous team. As 3rd and 4th liners, they weren’t getting a huge amount of ice time, weren’t on either PP unit, etc. Now on LV they are getting that chance and some are proving worthy.
Moved to Pittsburgh 9 months ago. Penguins are religion out here. I had only been to 1 Devils game in Jersey over a 10 year span and I've already been to 2 out here.
I think it's too early to make an accurate judgment on their long-term viability. The novelty hasn't worn off yet, and they are in first place. Once the team starts struggling and they've been around for 5-10 years, we'll see how much of their fanbase is committed. With that said, I hope they do prove to be a stable franchise.
I think this is a big part of it. Yeah the expansion rules were more favorable for them than they were for previous expansion teams, but I don't think too many people looked at their roster after the expansion draft and considered them to be a playoff team, let alone leading the division. They are definitely doing way better than anyone expected.
I think it's one of the most stunning occurrences in sports history. I realize the expansion draft was much more favorable than the Columbus/Minnesota year, but the only truly recognizable acquisitions were Neal and Fleury. The rest were mostly 3rd liners. William Karlsson has more goals this season than he had points last year.
Probably because a f-cking expansion team has no business being the top team in a conference. Imagine the ‘62 Mets winning the the pennant. I don’t hate them but think they need to pay their dues like the Devils of the early 80s
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I think the salary cap has a LOT to do with it.....
but, you can not discount the Vegas Flu's influence...........
but, you can not discount the Vegas Flu's influence...........
They are 21-12-5 on the road. The home record has them in first place, but if their home record was the same as their road record they would still be solidly in 2nd.
Vegas deserves a s**tload of credit for how they drafted and how they have performed.
However, they benefited a lot from the fact that the expansion rules were not even finalized until little over a year before last year's draft. I think you will see teams be a lot more hesitant to give out even limited NTCs and NMCs that would be in effect summer 2020, knowing that puts a player automatically on your protected list. Teams will try and time UFAs better, etc. The extra year of preparation will have a lot of teams better prepared with their lists for the Seattle draft.
You forget the Carolina Panthers? They did well right away.
I think the NFL expansion with Tampa Bay Bucs was a warning to other professional sports leagues. So they changed it up a bit. The Bucs stank up the joint for sooo long...
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