The Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2023, in just their sixth season of existence. In 2024, injuries plagued them throughout the season, and they finished eighth in the Western Conference. They had a first round showdown with the Dallas Stars, winning the first two games, but ultimately fell in seven games.

Let’s take a look at how the Knights’ 2024-25 season went, as well as what they’ve done so far this off-season.

How the season went

The Golden Knights returned to their dominant selves, finishing first in the Pacific Division thanks to a 50-22-10 record, earning 110 points, third most in the league. Their home arena, ironically nicknamed The Fortress, saw them go 29-9-3 in the regular season.

In the first round, they took on the seventh-seeded Minnesota Wild. After the two teams split the first four games, the Knights took over and won the final two games, setting up a showdown against the Edmonton Oilers. The Knights were the last Western Conference team to defeat the Oilers in the post-season, which is still the case.

Their home ice advantage was non-existent, as the Oilers took the first two games, capped off by an overtime winner in Game 2. The Golden Knights’ lone win came in the literal final second of Game 3, as Leon Draisaitl tipped the puck in his own net with 0.4 left on the clock. It was the final goal of the Golden Knights’ season.

In Game 4, the Oilers coasted to a 3-0 victory, pushing the Golden Knights to the brink. After 60 minutes in Game 5, the two teams hadn’t scored, but that changed when Kasperi Kapanen found the game-winner to send the Oilers to their third Western Conference in four years, while the Knights went home empty-handed.

Drafted players

The Knights’ first-round pick in 2025 ended up in the hands of the Nashville Predators. Originally, it was sent to the San Jose Sharks for Tomáš Hertl before the 2024 trade deadline. They won’t have their 2026 first either, as the Flames get it unprotected from the Noah Hanifin trade.

Their first pick in the 2025 draft was the 55th overall selection, and they chose Australian-born/Swedish-raised Jakob Ihs-Wozniak. Last season with Lulea HF’s junior team, he scored 23 goals and 57 points in 40 games.

With the 85th overall pick, the Golden Knights selected centre Mateo Norbot, followed by Alexander Weiermair with the 186th overall pick and Gustav Sjoqvist with the 187th overall pick.

Trades

The Golden Knights made a handful of trades centred around draft picks. Their first big move was made on Jun. 30, and it was a money-clearing trade. They sent Nicolas Hague and a 2027 conditional third-round pick to the Nashville Predators for Jérémy Lauzon and Colton Sissons.

Why did they need to clear cap space? Well, the Golden Knights traded Nicolas Roy to the Toronto Maple Leafs for the rights to Mitch Marner on Jul. 1. It was a sign-and-trade deal, as Marner agreed to an eight-year deal worth $12 million.

Free agent signings

Marner was their big signing (or trade), but what about other signings? The Golden Knights focused on re-signing players, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2 million with Reilly Smith, as well as the exact same contract to Brandon Saad.

Most of their other signings were just depth moves, but 24-year-old defenceman Kaedan Korczak signed a four-year extension worth $13 million, or $3.25 million annually.

Departures

On top of the two players named Nic, the Golden Knights also lost a significant piece on the back-end, as Alex Pietrangelo is out for the season with hip surgery. The two-time Stanley Cup winner may never play another game.

Forward Victor Olofsson and netminder Ilya Samsonov both remain available in free agency.

What the team looks like heading into 2025-26

The Golden Knights have a strong top six, spearheaded by Jack Eichel and Tomáš Hertl at centre, and Pavel Dorofeyev, Mitch Marner, Ivan Barbashev, and Mark Stone on the wing. There’s plenty of experience and toughness in the bottom six, as Brandon Saad, William Karlsson, and Reilly Smith make up what could be a strong third line. Keegan Kolesar and Brett Howden are two big hitters on the fourth line.

Defence is where the Knights could see some problems. Shea Theodore is a premier defenceman, and Brayden McNabb is one of the better shutdown defenders in the league. Noah Hanifin is Noah Hanifin, but after that, their defence is suspect, featuring Zach Whitecloud, Jérémy Lauzon, and Kaedan Korczak. If they make upgrades mid-season, expect it to be on defence.

In net, Adin Hill will get the crease, with Akira Schmid his likely backup.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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