The Vegas Golden Knights are the Stanley Cup favourites because they’re willing to roll the dice when the stakes are high.
Let’s go back to January of this year, when the hockey world lost its collective mind when the news broke that Vegas had fired head coach Gerard Gallant and immediately replaced the Jack Adams winner, who had his team in a playoff spot, with Pete DeBoer.
It was a move that was highly criticized, but GM Kelly McCrimmon stated he felt his team — then fifth in the Pacific Division — wasn’t playing to its potential and had another gear.
From there, Vegas made a deadline deal for goaltender Robin Lehner, in spite of having a three-time Stanley Cup champion in their crease in Marc-Andre Fleury — who has the most wins of any active NHL goalie.
I point to these bets because, yes, the Golden Knights had an edge over any other expansion team right out of the gate, but what has made the franchise successful is the mindset and the buy-in that they’re out to win a Stanley Cup every season.
And what looks like a gamble to the outside world is all about the ROI for Vegas.
Since taking over the bench, DeBoer has won over 70 per cent of his games, losing just nine times in 31 games and only once in the bubble.
Lehner won each of his three starts prior to the pandemic pause, and since the restart has established himself as the Knights’ number one, leading Vegas to a first-round playoff series win in just five games.
There is no complacency in the franchise from ownership to the ice. The Golden Knights are here to win the Stanley Cup.
And if I’m placing my bet, I’m all in.