Despite success, Golden Knights say they ‘haven’t won anything’
The Golden Knights’ first four years as a franchise rank among the best stretches in the NHL’s salary cap era.
They also, in the words of center William Karlsson, “haven’t won anything.”
That’s the dichotomy the team faces as it enters its fifth season again among the favorites to claim the Stanley Cup. The Knights’ fast rise and subsequent evolution have been a marvel in roster construction, chemistry and development. The team is also nowhere near satisfied with what it has accomplished.
The Knights retooled their roster again this offseason after two straight semifinal playoff exits in the hopes of reaching the final four for the third consecutive time. Their ultimate goal, the only one that matters, is to get back, win that series and then the next one.
“I think we all have that feeling that it’s time that we do get the job done and take that next step,” defenseman Alec Martinez said. “I’m confident in the group that we will.”
In four years, the Knights have done what many teams only dream of doing.
They’ve reached a Stanley Cup Final. They’ve made two other final fours. They’ve won two division titles and made the playoffs four straight seasons.
That run of success easily stands out in a league that prides itself on parity. Only 12 NHL teams have reached at least one Stanley Cup Final and two conference finals since the salary cap was introduced in 2005. The Knights, an expansion team in 2017, are among that group.
The fact that they’ve accomplished all that in four years puts them in rarefied air. The only teams that have done that in the salary cap era are the 2006-09 Detroit Red Wings, 2011-14 Los Angeles Kings, 2012-15 Chicago Blackhawks, 2017-21 Tampa Bay Lightning and 2002-07 Anaheim Ducks, whose run started before the cap was implemented.
It’s a historic group. But the Knights stand out for one reason: They’re the only one that didn’t win a Cup.
“We have unfinished business,” left wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “We’ll never be satisfied as an organization until we actually win it all.”
The Knights’ drive was fueled further this summer with the way their season ended. They were historic favorites in their semifinal series against Montreal. They lost in six games. They were also favored in the Western Conference Final the previous year against Dallas and lost in five.
Last season’s loss was made all the more inexplicable because the Knights were coming off a thrilling six-game series win against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche.
“It really felt like we had something special going, and then it kind of just took an abrupt stop in the semis against Montreal,” left wing Mattias Janmark said. “It feels like we’re still on that mission, so hopefully we can improve this year.”
It won’t be easy for the Knights to simply pick up where they left off. Their deep playoff runs mean they’ve played a lot of hockey the past two seasons. Some of their best players might log extra miles in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
But there remains a common drive that for all the success the organization has had, more is needed. The Knights could become the fourth team in the salary cap era to reach three straight final fours this season. That won’t be enough for this group.
“We want to stand on top at the end of the season,” Karlsson said. “We won’t stop until we reach the goal.”
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.