The Vegas Golden Knights are the biggest heels in the NHL. It has been since Day 1 since they entered the league. But the noise has only gotten louder since the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs started.
The Golden Knights are the eighth seed in the Western Conference. However, when fully healthy, they are one of the best teams in the NHL. The Golden Knights are the defending Stanley Cup Champions, and with Game 1 out of the way, the topic of LTIR (long-term injured reserve) is returning to the forefront.
Mark Stone returned in Game 1 after missing the regular season with a lacerated spleen. He had been skating independently and with the team but was not cleared for contact until before Monday night’s game. Fans around the league are up in arms about this because Vegas does this every year with players, especially Stone.
Stone seems to have a season-ending injury, which helps get the Golden Knights compliant before the playoffs. The Golden Knights ability to put him on LTIR allowed the team to trade for Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanifin, and Tomas Hertl at the deadline.
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What makes things worse is that Stone scored a goal and had a time on ice of 17:09. Again, this was his first game in the lineup. That does not mean he was getting in shape for his return. While it is a bad look, it is not against the rules.
Vegas operates differently than everyone else. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon said he is “the winning business, not the hockey business.”
McCrimmon and his team understand what the CBA says and how to operate within those guidelines. To quote MJF, “I’m Better Than You, and You Know It”
But all jokes aside, McCrimmon is operating on a different level. Instead of complaining, other fan bases should ask why their team’s GM is not doing the same. Everyone has the same playing field. Not to mention, half the clubs this season operated in LTIR because of the flat cap.
But it is not the first time teams have done this. Tampa Bay Lightning with Nikita Kucherov in 2021, Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 with Patrick Kane, Boston Bruins in 2011, and so on.
But this year, a team like the New Jersey Devils had money to spend with Dougie Hamilton on LTIR and chose not to use it to improve their club. However, the Golden Knights do it yearly because they want to win.
So, while everyone points the finger at the Vegas Golden Knights, saying they broke the rules, maybe you need to ask your GM why he did not do the same thing.
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