WCQF: Vegas Golden Knights (1) vs Chicago Blackhawks (8) (Vegas wins 4-1)

[Cecil Terwilliger]

People need to stop saying gifted. Vegas was gifted nothing.

They drafted players the team couldn’t keep and/or didn’t want to keep. They drafted a contender.

They bought a team and everyone agreed the rules were both appropriate and fair to build a competitive team (not a doormat). The fact Vegas outperformed expectations is down to good management and drafting, nothing more.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Well hopefully they don't blow it again next year.

Well I think the general rule in the NHL is that at any time there are probably 5-10 active GMs that are just outright bad at their job....so I wouldn't count on it.

The biggest thing that I think is B.S. is that Vegas is exempt from this expansion draft for Seattle. That was B.S. favoritism for Vegas IMO, but they also don't get a share of the $650M so I guess that's fair .

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

People need to stop saying gifted. Vegas was gifted nothing.

They drafted players the team couldn’t keep and/or didn’t want to keep. They drafted a contender.

They bought a team and everyone agreed the rules were both appropriate and fair to build a competitive team (not a doormat). The fact Vegas outperformed expectations is down to good management and drafting, nothing more.

Just because they played within the rules doesn’t mean I can’t hate them and be mad at the rules they were allowed to play within.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

The biggest thing that I think is B.S. is that Vegas is exempt from this expansion draft for Seattle. That was B.S. favoritism for Vegas IMO, but they also don't get a share of the $650M so I guess that's fair .

In a way it is funny that 30 other owners want that extra 700 grand each so badly that they decide to willingly let the new team have a pretty significant advantage over them for what should be petty cash to these guys.

The way Vegas is playing...I think they would have disposed of the Flames in 4 unless Talbot was able to steal one. I still like to blame Bieksa for their success. Selfish doof won't waive his no trade....next thing they get Shea Theodore given to them. If I was Bob Murray...I would have all the mirrors taken out of my house.

[combustiblefuel]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

People need to stop saying gifted. Vegas was gifted nothing.

They drafted players the team couldn’t keep and/or didn’t want to keep. They drafted a contender.

They bought a team and everyone agreed the rules were both appropriate and fair to build a competitive team (not a doormat). The fact Vegas outperformed expectations is down to good management and drafting, nothing more.

Ya... thats a stretch. When the you bribe owners to let a new kid play the game they only see dollar signs not like the leugue needed a 31st team and recently a 32nd team.

[FireGilbert]

Vegas with as many trips to the 2nd round in 3 years as Calgary has in 30.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

People need to stop saying gifted. Vegas was gifted nothing.

They drafted players the team couldn’t keep and/or didn’t want to keep. They drafted a contender.

They bought a team and everyone agreed the rules were both appropriate and fair to build a competitive team (not a doormat). The fact Vegas outperformed expectations is down to good management and drafting, nothing more.

Hoodwinking other GM's and superior talent evaluation is not what I would call being gifted. The Knights are a prime example of what can be done from scratch with top notch management and coaching. Even when they fired Galant they replaced him with another proven coach. Good organizations don't mess around with coaching hires.

[Benched]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Hoodwinking other GM's and superior talent evaluation is not what I would call being gifted. The Knights are a prime example of what can be done from scratch with top notch management and coaching. Even when they fired Galant they replaced him with another proven coach. Good organizations don't mess around with coaching hires.

The bolded stands out for me.

I thought they had a lot of cast offs and misfit toys. I don't think I was close to alone. Boy were we wrong. Turns out they knew who was good and who wasn't more so than a lot of us and pundits and other GMs.

Look no further than Florida (sorry Cali) who got absolutely swindled. Vegas identified Florida's key players better than Florida did.

Some of it is you can't protect everyone - but I don't think that's the headline here. It was diamond in the rough from multiple teams - that's superior talent evaluation.

[OldSam]

And don't forget they took a group of castoffs and made them into a great team. They had a great coach. The perfect coach for the group of players they had.

I just have to say that I admire the Hawks for their determination and desire. They fought the whole way.

[agulati]

Vegas is going to be a tough opponent for any team that gets into the second round, though if the Flames do squeeze in, I'd rather play Vegas than Colorado.

[dino7c]

They were gifted the easiest expansion rules ever

With teams only being allowed to protect one goalie and 3 D it was pretty easy to make a good team right off the bat. How shrewd do you have to be to draft MAF? They made some good moves but with those rules and geography it wasn't rocket appliances.

No matter what you can't really compare their "build" because it's apples and oranges. Most of the league would trade their team for a draft with those rules IMO.

The Wings have to give Seattle a player but Vegas doesn't lol

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They were gifted the easiest expansion rules ever

With teams only being allowed to protect one goalie and 3 D it was pretty easy to make a good team right off the bat. How shrewd do you have to be to draft MAF? They made some good moves but with those rules and geography it wasn't rocket appliances.

No matter what you can't really compare their "build" because it's apples and oranges. Most of the league would trade their team for a draft with those rules IMO.

The Wings have to give Seattle a player but Vegas doesn't lol

Not a chance a team (outside of Detroit maybe) trades their roster for a draft with those rules.

It's been outlined in this thread multiple times already but the players the Knights were able to draft weren't world beaters.

What made them a contender was 5 GMs that made absolutely horrible moves instead of just losing one player.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by dino7c

They were gifted the easiest expansion rules ever

With teams only being allowed to protect one goalie and 3 D it was pretty easy to make a good team right off the bat. How shrewd do you have to be to draft MAF? They made some good moves but with those rules and geography it wasn't rocket appliances.

No matter what you can't really compare their "build" because it's apples and oranges. Most of the league would trade their team for a draft with those rules IMO.

The Wings have to give Seattle a player but Vegas doesn't lol

Aside from MAF (who lots of people thought was on a downward path), what players they got were well known as top guys? I actually thought going in they had made the mistake of drafting a middling team that was not going to be in line for a top draft pick the following year, but was also not going to be a contender.

[Tiger]

The league Didn't want Vegas to be ####. That is no good for revenue and league growth. The league succeeded and with that they got a lot of attention too the the Knights going to the finals the first year. The draft did what it was supposed to. Plus everyone thought their team was ####ty going into the league. They did not have anyone really flashy, but did great as a team and than added more parts. You cannot say they were gift anything when everyone actually thought they did bad in the expansion draft.