Jonathan Marchessault, an original member of the Golden Knights, wanted to remain in Las Vegas. However, he understood that the organization will do what it believes is best for the team’s success in both the near and distant future.
This included letting one of the most beloved players in the team’s short history leave when Marchessault signed with the Nashville Predators on July 1.
“There’s definitely no loyalty but, at the same time, you’re there to win,” Marchessault said about the Golden Knights on The Cam and Strick Podcast. “I don’t mind that mindset, personally.”
This creates a tough situation for those in the Golden Knights organization. Management is committed to providing everything needed to compete for the Stanley Cup, but this also means that players and coaches have a limited amount of time to prove themselves.
Marchessault won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP in 2023 and scored 42 goals last season, just one shy of the club record. However, the Golden Knights were also aware that Marchessault will turn 34 this December.
There were disagreements about the contract terms from both sides, but general manager Kelly McCrimmon told The Associated Press that the Golden Knights wanted to keep Marchessault.
For a more detailed explanation, McCrimmon referenced earlier comments he made on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, stating that Nashville offered Marchessault a contract that was a year longer than what Vegas proposed.
While it was unpopular to let Marchessault go, it was less surprising than when the Golden Knights chose Robin Lehner over fan favorite Marc-Andre Fleury in 2021, trading the Vezina Trophy winner to the Chicago Blackhawks. Fleury, who now plays for Minnesota, still receives a warm welcome when he returns to Las Vegas, and fans even chanted his name when the Wild visited on April 12.
Lehner’s time with the Golden Knights has ended after a settlement was reached, meaning his $5 million salary will not count against the salary cap this season, according to Daily Faceoff on Thursday.
He is also expected to receive $4.5 million in the last year of his contract. Lehner has been on long-term injured reserve for the past two seasons after having hip surgery.
The Golden Knights are known for aggressively pursuing players and have brought in big names like Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo, and Max Pacioretty over the years.
They also traded for Jack Eichel, who was involved in a disagreement with the Buffalo Sabres over a procedure that had never been done on an NHL player. Eichel remained firm on his position, and the Golden Knights not only made the trade in November 2021 but also allowed him to have disk-replacement surgery.
“I kind of went from one polar opposite to the other,” Eichel said. “In Buffalo, they were always working towards the future. It was never about right now. I understand that situation.
It was about getting draft picks, developing them and working towards, OK, what can we be like in a year, two years or whatever it might be for now.
“To be able to play in a place where the goal and the standard every season is to be the last team, it’s the best. It’s what you want as a player. We have the utmost confidence in management and ownership to make our team as good as it possibly can every year to try to win the ultimate goal.”
The Golden Knights’ approach has been a clear success. They reached the Stanley Cup Final in their first year in 2018 and have made the playoffs every season except one. Vegas fulfilled owner Bill Foley’s dream of winning the Cup in its sixth year.
Along the way, the Golden Knights have faced criticism, especially from fans of other teams who are unhappy with an organization that has had one of the most successful expansion histories in sports. The team’s use of long-term injured reserve has also led to accusations of manipulating the salary cap, allowing them to make bold moves at the trade deadline.
Even many fans of the Golden Knights have been put off by the ruthless nature of the organization. However, the team remains very popular, as shown by the many team license plates around the Las Vegas area and the lively atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena.
Winning is, of course, a big reason for this popularity, and it’s the main focus for the organization.
This is a major reason why coach Bruce Cassidy was interested in joining Vegas after the Boston Bruins let him go in June 2022. He is already the third coach in Golden Knights history, and winning a championship in his first season helped him earn some time.
But he understands that patience can be limited and people’s memories can be short.
“I’d rather be in that position than a team that’s the opposite or somewhere down the road from that,” Cassidy said. “You might have a little less scrutiny or pressure or whatever words you want to use, but I like to win.
I enjoyed the feeling of winning the Stanley Cup, and I’d take the pressure that goes along with it any day to do it all over again.”
