I know Stevie Y has grown into a terrific GM, and that he knows how to work the media, but a Vegas victory in the Final would be horrific for the league.
A Vegas win would reduce the Stanley Cup to the level of a participation trophy, far worse than Colorado’s waltz to the Cup in ‘96.
Colorado was relocation…pretty different from a brand new team.
And while I think it’s pretty nuts for a team to win in their first year, I don’t think you can call it a participation trophy when they beat the teams they have in best of 7 series to get there.
Teams with a lot of good players were going to lose a good player, there was no way around it. If Panthers had protected Marchessault then they lose another good player such as Bjugstad or Petrovic. No matter who Panthers protected, Vegas was going to get a very good player. The same goes for all NHL teams. With all due respect to George McPhee, almost anyone could have picked a top team with the players available. The smartest thing he did was make Gallant the coach.
I think Florida was the exception, not the rule. Most teams weren’t offering Vegas that much. Personally, I only think Nashville and Florida really lost a significant asset because of the expansion draft. Pittsburgh may have lost Fluery but that got some badly needly cap space in return. Most the other teams lost 3rd or 4th line forwards and bottom half defensemen. It was much more favorable terms than previous expansions but far from a guarantee of success.
I don’t think ANYONE can say, with a straight face, that they thought this Vegas roster could do any more than sneak into the playoffs as one of the bottom seeds and those who thought they’d sneak in expected them to lose in round 1. Even at the start of the playoffs few were giving them much of a chance of getting past round 1.
They didn’t just get lucky and win a bunch of close games or OT contests either. They may not have had the toughest matchups but they did dispatch the 2nd best team in hockey (who had just beaten the best team) in 5 games. It hasn’t just been goaltending that has them in this position, it has been a total team effort.
McPhee had the right idea from the get go, one that not all GMs would have had. He focussed on getting YOUNG talent.
I will agree that his best move was getting Gallant.