The 2023 Stanley Cup champions have had a quiet off-season. This, of course, comes after they did most of their roster building at last season&#8217;s trade deadline. 

Welcome to a new Oilersnation summer series called Off-Season Review, in which we’ll take a dive into what’s going on with the other 15 teams in the Western Conference. So far in the series, we’ve looked at the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and the Los Angeles Kings. In this article, we’ll look at the team that eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in the 2023 postseason, the Vegas Golden Knights.
<h2>The Vegas Golden Knights 2023-24 season in a nutshell</h2>
Coming off their first Stanley Cup in their short franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights had big expectations for the 2023-24 season. However, the injuries piled up for the Knights (as usual), and they were forced to make some big moves at the trade deadline.
On March 5, they traded a 2024 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Washington Capitals in exchange for rental forward Anthony Mantha. He signed with the Calgary Flames when free agency opened. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🔄 TRADE ALERT 🚨 
The Golden Knights have acquired forward Anthony Mantha from Washington in exchange for a 2024 2nd round pick and a 2026 4th round pick. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VegasBorn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VegasBorn</a>
&mdash; Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1765162563602624896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
However, the Golden Knights also made a trade with the Flames prior to the deadline, moving their 2026 first-round pick, their 2024 third-round pick, and Daniil Miromanov for Noah Hanifin. Before the playoffs started, the Golden Knights re-signed Hanifin to an eight-year deal worth $58.8 million, or $7.35 million annually.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
We Noah guy that’s sticking around for a while 😏
The Golden Knights have signed Noah Hanifin to an eight-year contract extension!!!! 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VegasBorn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VegasBorn</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheGoldenAge?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheGoldenAge</a> <a href="https://t.co/QIf5HhOZIU">pic.twitter.com/QIf5HhOZIU</a>
&mdash; Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1778516311771128162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Their last move before the deadline was a shocking one, as they acquired long-time San Jose Shark Tomáš Hertl, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick and prospect David Edstrom.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨 BLOCKBUSTER 🚨
The Golden Knights have acquired Tomas Hertl, a 2025 3rd round pick and a 2027 3rd round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for David Edstrom and a 2025 1st round pick. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VegasBorn?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VegasBorn</a>
&mdash; Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1766215179346297064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 8, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite getting long-term injured reserve veteran Mark Stone back in time for the postseason (for the third consecutive season), the eighth-seeded Knights fell to the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of the first round, ending their hopes of a back-to-back Stanley Cup.
<h2>Some Notable Statistics</h2>
Their top goal-scorer and point-getter was Jonathan Marchessault, as he scored a career-high 42 goals and 69 points in 82 games. However, Jack Eichel was their best player, as he scored 31 goals and 69 points in just 63 games before a knee injury took out 19 games of his season. Original “Misfit” William Karlsson scored 30 goals and 60 points.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
&quot;John Hynes rolls the dice and comes up snake eyes!&quot;
&quot;Vegas wins in overtime 2-1! 40th goal for Jonathan Marchessault!&quot;
🎙 <a href="https://twitter.com/Dan_DUva?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Dan_DUva</a> 
Marchessault joins William Karlsson as the only 40-goal scorers in VGK history as Vegas takes down Minnesota. <a href="https://t.co/5v9N08PokM">pic.twitter.com/5v9N08PokM</a>
&mdash; Golden Knights Radio (@VGKRadioNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/VGKRadioNetwork/status/1774201770794954989?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Captain Mark Stone had another good season when he was healthy, as he scored 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games while being the great two-way forward he usually is. A lacerated spleen ended his regular season, but he was back in time for the postseason… for the third consecutive season.
Chandler Stephenson declined a bit, but still had a great season with the Knights, scoring 16 goals and 51 points in 75 games. However, the centre struggled in the postseason, picking up just one assist in the Knights’ seven postseason games.
Their best defenceman in terms of points was Shea Theodore, who scored five goals and 42 points in 47 games, before miraculously returning for the Knights’ postseason run. Alex Pietrangelo also missed time with injury but scored four goals and 33 points in 64 games. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Shea Theodore scores his first goal in 27 games to put the <a href="https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoldenKnights</a> up 2-1 in Game 1. <a href="https://t.co/svLdkQxTzF">pic.twitter.com/svLdkQxTzF</a>
&mdash; Golden Knights Radio (@VGKRadioNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/VGKRadioNetwork/status/1665174285315452928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Logan Thompson played the majority of the games for the Knights, mainly due to Adin Hill’s injury. Thompson had a .908 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average in 46 games, while Hill had a .909 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average in 35 games. Prior to the injury, Hill looked like a contender for the Vezina Trophy.
<h2>Off-Season Transactions</h2>
Thanks to a busy trade deadline, the Vegas Golden Knights have had a quiet off-season in terms of signings. However, they were active with trades around the draft, trading netminder Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨Trade Alert🚨
Logan Thompson will head to the Washington Capitals through a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/bDSg3SoKE1">pic.twitter.com/bDSg3SoKE1</a>
&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1807095256795480134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Shortly after, they traded Paul Cotter (seven goals, 25 points) to the New Jersey Devils for Akira Schmid and Alexander Holtz. The latter was selected seventh overall in the 2020 draft and scored a career-high 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games last season. This is a good trade.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
We have acquired F Paul Cotter and Vegas&#39;s 2025 Third Round Pick for Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid. <a href="https://t.co/mgtffGBBfB">pic.twitter.com/mgtffGBBfB</a>
&mdash; New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) <a href="https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1807120074018574698?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Knights brought in another netminder, Ilya Samsonov, on a one-year, $1.8 million deal, while agreeing to terms with restricted free agent Pavel Dorofeyev on a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $1.835 million. Another restricted free agent, Kaedan Korczak, was signed to a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $825,000.
Their big free agent signing was Victor Olofsson, who only scored seven goals and 15 points in 51 games last season, but had a career-high 28 goals in 2022-23 with the Buffalo Sabres, and  49 points the season before that. Olofsson signed a one-year deal worth $1.075 million, a good low-risk, high-reward move. In terms of depth signings, they added Cal Burke and Robert Hagg to league-minimum deals.
However, the Knights lost a whole bunch of players through free agency. Their leading scorer, Jonathan Marchessault, signed a five-year deal worth $27.5 million, or $5.5 million annually with the Nashville Predators. Chandler Stephenson signed a seven-year deal with the Seattle Kraken worth $43.75 million with a cap hit of $6.25 million.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT IS A NASHVILLE PREDATOR
-&gt; <a href="https://t.co/Aen6Nbj7De">https://t.co/Aen6Nbj7De</a> <a href="https://t.co/TVmrWfPyVZ">pic.twitter.com/TVmrWfPyVZ</a>
&mdash; Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) <a href="https://twitter.com/PredsNHL/status/1807878307452506518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Depth players such as William Carrier (six goals, eight points in 39 games), Anthony Mantha (three goals, 10 points in 18 games), Michael Armadio (14 goals, 27 points in 73 games) and defenceman Alec Martinez (four goals, 17 points in 55 games) all departed as well.
Overall, the team has had a lot of turnover since the 2024 trade deadline and chemistry could be a cause for concern. While the team may not have improved this free agency, when expanding the scope to the 2024 trade deadline, it looks like a pretty darn good team on paper.
And of course, you know that quite a few of their players will end up on the long-term injured reserve at some point during the season, leading to a big trade or two at the 2025 trade deadline.
<hr />
If you enjoy my content, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.
<hr />
<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">Previously in this series…</h2>
<ul class="mb-5 list-disc pl-8">
<li class=""><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-the-calgary-flames-are-fully-into-rebuild-mode" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Off-Season Review: The Calgary Flames are fully into rebuild mode</a></li>
<li class=""><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-the-vancouver-canucks-followed-their-breakout-season-with-a-busy-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Off-Season Review: The Vancouver Canucks followed their breakout season with a busy summer</a></li>
<li class=""><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-future-is-now-for-sharks-after-drafting-macklin-celebrini-first-overall" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Off-Season Review: Future is now for Sharks after drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall</a></li>
<li><a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-the-los-angeles-kings-remain-buried-in-the-pacific-division">Off-Season Review: The Los Angeles Kings remain buried in the Pacific Division</a></li>
</ul>

The 2023 Stanley Cup champions have had a quiet off-season. This, of course, comes after they did most of their roster building at last season's trade deadline. 



Welcome to a new Oilersnation summer series called Off-Season Review, in which we’ll take a dive into what’s going on with the other 15 teams in the Western Conference. So far in the series, we’ve looked at the Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and the Los Angeles Kings. In this article, we’ll look at the team that eliminated the Edmonton Oilers in the 2023 postseason, the Vegas Golden Knights.
<h2>The Vegas Golden Knights 2023-24 season in a nutshell</h2>
Coming off their first Stanley Cup in their short franchise history, the Vegas Golden Knights had big expectations for the 2023-24 season. However, the injuries piled up for the Knights (as usual), and they were forced to make some big moves at the trade deadline.

On March 5, they traded a 2024 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Washington Capitals in exchange for rental forward Anthony Mantha. He signed with the Calgary Flames when free agency opened. 

https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1765162563602624896

However, the Golden Knights also made a trade with the Flames prior to the deadline, moving their 2026 first-round pick, their 2024 third-round pick, and Daniil Miromanov for Noah Hanifin. Before the playoffs started, the Golden Knights re-signed Hanifin to an eight-year deal worth $58.8 million, or $7.35 million annually.

https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1778516311771128162

Their last move before the deadline was a shocking one, as they acquired long-time San Jose Shark Tomáš Hertl, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 third-round pick in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick and prospect David Edstrom.

https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1766215179346297064

Despite getting long-term injured reserve veteran Mark Stone back in time for the postseason (for the third consecutive season), the eighth-seeded Knights fell to the Dallas Stars in Game 7 of the first round, ending their hopes of a back-to-back Stanley Cup.
<h2>Some Notable Statistics</h2>
Their top goal-scorer and point-getter was Jonathan Marchessault, as he scored a career-high 42 goals and 69 points in 82 games. However, Jack Eichel was their best player, as he scored 31 goals and 69 points in just 63 games before a knee injury took out 19 games of his season. Original “Misfit” William Karlsson scored 30 goals and 60 points.

https://twitter.com/VGKRadioNetwork/status/1774201770794954989

Captain Mark Stone had another good season when he was healthy, as he scored 16 goals and 53 points in 56 games while being the great two-way forward he usually is. A lacerated spleen ended his regular season, but he was back in time for the postseason… for the third consecutive season.

Chandler Stephenson declined a bit, but still had a great season with the Knights, scoring 16 goals and 51 points in 75 games. However, the centre struggled in the postseason, picking up just one assist in the Knights’ seven postseason games.

Their best defenceman in terms of points was Shea Theodore, who scored five goals and 42 points in 47 games, before miraculously returning for the Knights’ postseason run. Alex Pietrangelo also missed time with injury but scored four goals and 33 points in 64 games. 

https://twitter.com/VGKRadioNetwork/status/1665174285315452928

Logan Thompson played the majority of the games for the Knights, mainly due to Adin Hill’s injury. Thompson had a .908 save percentage and a 2.70 goals-against average in 46 games, while Hill had a .909 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average in 35 games. Prior to the injury, Hill looked like a contender for the Vezina Trophy.
<h2>Off-Season Transactions</h2>
Thanks to a busy trade deadline, the Vegas Golden Knights have had a quiet off-season in terms of signings. However, they were active with trades around the draft, trading netminder Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals for a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 third-round pick.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1807095256795480134

Shortly after, they traded Paul Cotter (seven goals, 25 points) to the New Jersey Devils for Akira Schmid and Alexander Holtz. The latter was selected seventh overall in the 2020 draft and scored a career-high 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games last season. This is a good trade.

https://twitter.com/NJDevils/status/1807120074018574698

The Knights brought in another netminder, Ilya Samsonov, on a one-year, $1.8 million deal, while agreeing to terms with restricted free agent Pavel Dorofeyev on a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $1.835 million. Another restricted free agent, Kaedan Korczak, was signed to a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $825,000.

Their big free agent signing was Victor Olofsson, who only scored seven goals and 15 points in 51 games last season, but had a career-high 28 goals in 2022-23 with the Buffalo Sabres, and  49 points the season before that. Olofsson signed a one-year deal worth $1.075 million, a good low-risk, high-reward move. In terms of depth signings, they added Cal Burke and Robert Hagg to league-minimum deals.

However, the Knights lost a whole bunch of players through free agency. Their leading scorer, Jonathan Marchessault, signed a five-year deal worth $27.5 million, or $5.5 million annually with the Nashville Predators. Chandler Stephenson signed a seven-year deal with the Seattle Kraken worth $43.75 million with a cap hit of $6.25 million.

https://twitter.com/PredsNHL/status/1807878307452506518

Depth players such as William Carrier (six goals, eight points in 39 games), Anthony Mantha (three goals, 10 points in 18 games), Michael Armadio (14 goals, 27 points in 73 games) and defenceman Alec Martinez (four goals, 17 points in 55 games) all departed as well.

Overall, the team has had a lot of turnover since the 2024 trade deadline and chemistry could be a cause for concern. While the team may not have improved this free agency, when expanding the scope to the 2024 trade deadline, it looks like a pretty darn good team on paper.

And of course, you know that quite a few of their players will end up on the long-term injured reserve at some point during the season, leading to a big trade or two at the 2025 trade deadline.

<hr />

If you enjoy my content, you can follow me on Twitter @Ryley_L_D.

<hr />

<h2 class="mb-5 text-2xl font-bold">Previously in this series…</h2>
<ul class="mb-5 list-disc pl-8">
 	<li class=""><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-the-calgary-flames-are-fully-into-rebuild-mode" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Off-Season Review: The Calgary Flames are fully into rebuild mode</a></li>
 	<li class=""><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-the-vancouver-canucks-followed-their-breakout-season-with-a-busy-summer" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Off-Season Review: The Vancouver Canucks followed their breakout season with a busy summer</a></li>
 	<li class=""><a class="text-accent" href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-future-is-now-for-sharks-after-drafting-macklin-celebrini-first-overall" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Off-Season Review: Future is now for Sharks after drafting Macklin Celebrini first overall</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/off-season-review-the-los-angeles-kings-remain-buried-in-the-pacific-division">Off-Season Review: The Los Angeles Kings remain buried in the Pacific Division</a></li>
</ul>

Off-Season Review: The Golden Knights had another summer exodus to accommodate their in-season additions

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