10 NHL Teams To Watch This Season
4. Vegas Golden Knights
The brand new Vegas Golden Knights make the list not because they’re expected to be a quality team, but rather for the sheer novelty. The NHL’s newest franchise is also the first ever professional sports team in Las Vegas, and are set to play in a T-Mobile Arena that recently hosted a boxing bout between two fellows named Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.
Yes, the potential for star-studded celebrity fandom in Las Vegas sports means that the Golden Knights will be the talk of the league throughout the year, win or lose. Make no mistake though, much losing is expected for their inaugural season. The history of expansion franchises throughout the NHL doesn’t bode well for the Knights, at least at first, and they’re not expected to compete just yet.
That doesn’t mean they can’t make for top-viewing, however. A quality first NHL Entry Draft for the franchise acquired potential studs Cody Glass and Nick Suzuki. The marquee signing of the expansion draft was undoubtedly former Penguins star goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, whose vibrant personality is a terrific fit for the NHL’s newest and most glamorous franchise.