In this edition of the hotstove we discuss whether the 5-1-0 Vegas Golden Knights are legitimate threats to claim a playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Todd Cordell
It's a good story, but I don't think much of Vegas' team and think it's only a matter of time before the losses start to pile up.
Sure, they work hard and all that but their ice time leaders at 5v5 are, in order, Deryk Engelland, Luca Sbisa, Nate Schmidt, Cody Eakin, and David Perron. With respect to those guys, that is the worst crop of most utilized players in the entire league and I'm not sure anyone is remotely close.
I think their soft schedule -- and 104PDO -- has a lot to do with their good start and, as they begin to face tougher opponents, they'll come down to earth in a hurry.
Jared Crozier In a word, no, they are not a threat to make the playoffs.
I had them in my top 5 power rankings earlier this week, and the story is incredible given what the team has dealt with. Going 5-1 through their first 6 games is quite an accomplishment, but of their 6 games, only 1 has been against what I consider a playoff-caliber team (Dallas). The combined record of their opponents is 10-18-3, and they have only faced 1 team that is above .500 at the moment, and they lost that one 6-3 to Detroit).
Yes, you can only play who is in front of you, but they have been gifted with a relatively easy schedule to start.
The Golden Knights have been a scrappy group and they deserve credit for being better than I thought they would be and they might even avoid the Pacific Division basement (which might not be a good thing in the long run) thanks to the Coyotes. However, when they start getting the better teams on their schedule they will come back to earth.
James Tanner
The Golden Knights are the worst team in the NHL. They are currently 22nd in possession, and every team below them has a better roster. Their start to the season is a combination of good luck, and better luck.
It's a nice story, but the fact that this is even a question is somewhat frustrating because I think you'd have to be completely insane think this is "real."
First of all, no team - not even one that is actually good - is going to win 85% of their games, so automatically we know it's not real. The Leafs, Jackets, and Lightning are probably the three best teams in the NHL and even they are not for real if 'for real' means continuing to win five of every six games.
Secondly, their goalies are bad. Fleury - who is injured - is at best a borderline NHL starter at this point. At worst, he's actively terrible.
Third, just look at their roster. The NHL gave them every advantage possible and McPhee still could have done much better, in my opinion.
Finally, if McPhee has even a modicum of intelligence, he'll be trading ever player who has a good season in order to properly build a young foundation.
So no, the Golden Knights are not for real.
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