Knights more than one-year wonder
LAS VEGAS— Shea Theodore and Alex Tuch had to have faith. When the Vegas Golden Knights decided to send them to the minors at the start of last season, Theodore and Tuch chose to believe what general manager George McPhee told them. “The message was that we were part of the future of this team and he definitely saw us in that long-term plan,” Theodore said.
Within weeks, they were back in the NHL as part of the fastest-starting expansion team in history and played significant roles in the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup final in their inaugural season. Each player got a long-term contract before he played his first game this season, and they weren’t alone as McPhee went about the process of turning Vegas from a one-year wonder into a perennial title contender.
He locked up 75-point forward Jonathan Marchessault through 2024, signed face-ofthe-franchise goaltender MarcAndre Fleury to a three-year extension, inked defenceman Nate Schmidt to a six-year contract that begins next season, signed centre Paul Stastny as a free agent and acquired big winger Max Pacioretty in a trade with Montreal. Those moves have paid off so far with Vegas five points back of first place in the Pacific Division and looking like its second act could rival its first.
“We have a couple guys signed long term, and it’s fun because it means that we have a core and we’re building something,” Marchessault said. “You want to be part of a story as a hockey player, and it feels like we’re part of one here.”
The Golden Knights’ story was a fairy tale: A team that looked on paper like it would be among the worst in the league won its division and steamrolled to the final before losing to McPhee’s former team, the Washington Capitals, in five games. Marchessault said he felt in June like this team could be a legitimate threat for years to come.
McPhee’s job was to ensure that. The veteran executive who got to build the Golden Knights from scratch through the expansion draft understood he had the benefit of not having to dig out from bad contracts. But he also shouldered the burden of drawing up a whole host of new ones after one season during which seemingly everyone overachieved.
Fleury got $7 million (all figures U.S.) a year; Schmidt, $5.95 million; Theodore, $5.2 million; Marchessault, $5 million; and Tuch, $4.75 million. Fleury leads the NHL with 26 wins, Schmidt has played over 23 minutes a game since returning from suspension, Theodore leads Vegas defencemen with 21 points and Tuch and Marchessault are1-2 on the team in scoring.
Beyond cost certainty, it was money smartly spent to keep morale up, raise expectations and get bang for owner Bill Foley’s buck.
“When you have a guy believe in you like that, sign you to that kind of a term, you don’t want to make him look bad and I think every night you want to go out and you want to play your best,” said Theodore. “I think it’s been paying off for us and hopefully will in the future.”