The stage is scheduled for the 2025 NHL Conference Finals. The Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers will meet in the West again, a year for the Oilers to win a hard-working series in six games. In the East, the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes are expected to have a high-stakes showdown, with both teams staring at the Stanley Cup final.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Golden Cavaliers made it to the Western Conference Finals for the last time in 2023 before capturing their first Stanley Cup and now find themselves watching from the outside.
After being ousted in the first round of the battle against the stars in seven games in 2024, they lost again in the playoffs, losing to the Oilers in five games. It was quick, but the series took further distance in both overtime and three games, which was a goal.
Related: After the second round trip, is the road ahead blurry to the Golden Knight's advance?
Winning a championship in any league is difficult, but the Golden Knights' pursuit of the second Stanley Cup seems to be heading in the wrong direction, almost like they are going backwards.
With no young players at the core, the Golden Knights seemed to lose their best in the league's best and quickly did it.
Where are the Golden Knights ranked among other elite teams?
It's easy to see why the Golden Cavaliers are still one of the top teams in the NHL. They won four Pacific Division titles in their first eight seasons and ended with a third-best record in the league, scoring 110 points.
“I think it's a really good regular season with 50 wins,” General Manager Kelly McCrimmon said in an exit interview. “It's a disappointing end to our season.”
Despite the success of the regular season, the Golden Knights are still looking for the answer. With superstar Jack Eichel at the helm and with talented support actors who have all the wins, they prove it time and time again. However, after quitting the Oilers in the second round, the only question remains: Where are the Golden Knights among the best in the NHL?
There is a common consensus throughout the league: The Stars, Panthers, Hurricanes and Oilers are the best in the NHL, and it's no surprise to see all four teams in the finals this season.
The stars came to the game with a sensational trade by Mikko Rantanen, and since then he threw video game numbers in the playoffs, scoring 19 points in 13 games, including two hat tricks.
Instead, the Hurricanes acquired and traded Lantanen this season but did not let them ruin their playoffs and reached the ECF again. As for the Oilers, the team that popped the Golden Knights from the playoffs has been winning momentum in the playoffs. Not to mention, they have both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who have scored a total of 33 points in 11 playoff games.
You will then have the Panthers making the move before the deadline and supplemented with Brad Marchand, who scored 12 points in 12 playoff games. All of these teams (including Edmonton) scored excellent goals in the regular season and built a comprehensive team for the playoffs.
It's easy to see why these teams form a Division I Stanley Cup contender, especially excluding the Golden Knights, and it's not shocking. Now, Las Vegas seems to be part of the second-tier or even three contenders in the NHL.
Currently, they may be on the same level as teams like the Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings and the Tampa Bay Lightning. This is the second half of the top 10, not the top five or three like before.
It's not a comparison of the Golden Knights directly with these teams, but a reminder that Vegas is no longer the best conversation after the past two seasons. As the division between some of the top NHL teams and the Golden Knights grows, what is this causing this gap?
What is the difference between Las Vegas and the best in the league?
McCrimmon is known for his two-way deal, as evidenced by the acquisition of Thomas Hertl and the move to swing for Noah Hanifin. He never shys away from future assets to strengthen the current assets. But while these aggressive moves help host the Stanley Cup in 2023, they have left the Knights of the Shallow Knights with shallow prospect pools and a frustrating future.
All teams deal with these issues, especially those that are always at the top of the standings. But Las Vegas may be harder to hit than most people. They didn’t have a first-round pick until 2027, and Trevor Connelly was their only first-round prospect to be drafted in the past five seasons. McCrimmon has either used the draft pick, or has used the draft pick, or has traded the players directly.
On the other hand, salary cap restrictions are another growing problem. With over $7 million loads of Alex Pietrangelo, Mark Stone, Hanifin and Eichel, Vegas is tied to flexibility.
Most of these participants also have no moving clauses, not that Vegas is seeking to trade any of them, but simply adding to the complexity of the situation at hand. McCrimmon is taking action but doesn't seem to have arms as he's tied to several contracts for the next few seasons.
The combination of aging core and lack of youth may cause trouble for the Golden Knight. In the offseason, they will regroup to fill some gaps and push the Cup again in 2025-26.
After the second round of exit, the future of the Golden Knight is frustrating
The Golden Knights have achieved instant success since their inception, but the past two seasons have brought more and more challenges. The 2025 offseason will be the key to whether Las Vegas can remain the best in the NHL. Future salary cap space is limited and there is a sparse pool of prospects, but if McCrimmon teaches fans anything, they might be playing in another Stanley Cup next season.
