Kelly McCrimmon’s Vision Has Kept the Golden Knights Ahead of the NHL

The Vegas Golden Knights have developed a reputation unlike any other franchise in the NHL — when a star player becomes available, Vegas is almost always connected to the rumors. Whether it was acquiring Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin, Tomas Hertl, Alex Pietrangelo, or Mitch Marner, the Golden Knights have consistently shown a willingness to make aggressive moves that many organizations would never consider.

To some people, that aggressiveness has become the defining characteristic of the franchise. The narrative often suggests that Vegas simply outspends, outmaneuvers, or outmuscles competitors in pursuit of star power. But that explanation misses the bigger picture. The reason the Golden Knights have become one of the NHL’s premier organizations isn’t because general manager Kelly McCrimmon chases stars, but because he understands that roster construction is about far more than stars alone. The stars get the headlines while the depth wins championships.

Vegas Doesn’t Stop Evolving

Since entering the NHL for the 2017-18 season, Vegas has reached the playoffs in eight of its first nine seasons, advanced to multiple conference finals, appeared in multiple Stanley Cup Finals, and captured the franchise’s first championship in 2023. Few expansion franchises in professional sports history have shown that level of immediate and sustained success. What separates Vegas from many contenders is its willingness to constantly evolve.

Most teams become attached to a core group and attempt to extend a championship window as long as possible, but the Golden Knights have never operated that way. Instead, McCrimmon has treated roster construction as an ongoing process. When Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural season, players like Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Marc-Andre Fleury, and Nate Schmidt formed the roster’s foundation.

By the time the organization won the Stanley Cup in 2023, many of those players had been replaced by Eichel, Pietrangelo, Stone, Ivan Barbashev, and Adin Hill. Now, as the Golden Knights compete in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, the roster has evolved yet again, highlighted by the addition of Marner and another wave of contributors throughout the lineup. Vegas has essentially rebuilt a contender multiple times without ever enduring a true rebuild.

Prioritizing Fit Over Fame

That level of sustained success isn’t possible if a team relies exclusively on elite talent and this season provides a perfect example. While Eichel remained one of the NHL’s elite centers with a 90-point season and Stone continued to be one of hockey’s best two-way forwards despite injury, Vegas’ success has been fueled by contributions throughout the lineup. Pavel Dorofeyev emerged as a major scoring threat. Barbashev continued to provide top-six production. Karlsson remains one of the league’s most reliable defensive forwards. Brett Howden evolved into a valuable middle-six contributor who is capable of impacting games in various ways.

The result is a balanced roster capable of attacking opponents in waves rather than depending on one line to carry the offense. Vegas finished the regular season averaging 3.21 goals per game while allowing just 2.98 goals per game. Their power play operated at nearly 25 percent, while the penalty kill finished above 81 percent. Rather than dominating in one specific area, the Golden Knights ranked among the league’s strongest teams across multiple categories.

McCrimmon has consistently targeted players who can fill specific roles within a larger structure. Stone isn’t valuable simply because he scores. Karlsson isn’t important solely because he can contribute offensively. Players are acquired because they fit an identity built around versatility, responsibility, and lineup flexibility. Perhaps the best example of this is the bottom six. Throughout Vegas’ history, role players have often become difference-makers. Players such as Howden, Keegan Kolesar, Nicolas Roy, Alexandre Carrier, and others have produced meaningful playoff moments despite never being considered stars.

Depth Remains Vegas’ Greatest Strength

Championship teams need players like Eichel and Stone, but they also need a fourth line that can survive difficult matchups, a third defensive pair that can be trusted in critical moments, and depth forwards capable of moving up the lineup when injuries occur and Vegas has consistently prioritized those areas.

During this season’s playoff run, the fourth line, which has generally consisted of Cole Smith, Nic Dowd, and Kolesar, has a combined 11 points, which may not seem like a lot, but it does make a difference in the team’s general success getting to the Stanley Cup Final. Meanwhile, the third line, usually consisting of Hertl, Colton Sissons, and Stone, has a combined 31 points throughout the playoffs. For the “bottom six,” that’s a total of 42 points throughout the postseason, pushing them closer to a second Stanley Cup.

That philosophy also explains why the organization has been willing to move on from popular players. From Fleury to Smith, who made his return to Vegas in 2025, to Marchessault, difficult decisions have become a hallmark of the McCrimmon era. Many franchises make emotional decisions; however, Vegas generally makes roster decisions based on future value.

In 2023, after winning the Stanley Cup, McCrimmon described Vegas’ success as the result of “a series of good decisions” rather than one defining move. That quote does a great job at capturing the organization’s approach. Championships are built through years of roster optimization, asset management, player development, and strategic risk-taking.

The Golden Knights remain one of the NHL’s most aggressive franchises because they understand that standing still is often the quickest path to decline, but aggression alone doesn’t create a perennial contender. What has made Vegas different is McCrimmon’s understanding that stars are only part of the equation. The organization’s sustained success has been built on constructing complete rosters, identifying undervalued contributors, and continually reshaping the lineup before weaknesses become problems.

That’s why, nearly a decade into their existence, they remain one of the NHL’s gold standards.