Our NHL Saturday piece today is the second-to-last in this miniseries, taking us right up to the New Year, when we will have to start coming to town with something new and interesting every Saturday—or maybe we will take a break for awhile. We will see. In the meantime, enjoy this look at the best players in the short history of the Vegas Golden Knights, a team born just eight years ago or so now … and 2023 Cup champs.

No. 10: Jack Eichel, C—23 PS (2021-present)

After six seasons in hapless Buffalo, he joined Vegas in his age-25 season and has been a great contributor since then (198 points in 193 games) despite being a little brittle. He has not competed for any major awards, really, as a Golden Knight, but the former No. 2 overall pick did help the team win the Stanley Cup in 2023. In fact, with a league-best 26 points that postseason, we named him our winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy.

No. 9: Max Pacioretty, LW—24 PS (2018-2022)

He came to Sin City after 10 seasons in Montréal, just in time for his age-30 season, and then he left town right before the Golden Knights hoisted the Cup. Bad luck! However, the former first rounder was an All Star in 2020 for the team, as he posted 8.6 PS that season. In 36 playoff games with the franchise, he put up 30 points in 36 games; that is comparable to the 194 points in 224 regular-season games he managed here.

No. 8: Alex Pietrangelo, D—31 PS (2020-present)

After 10-plus quality years in St. Louis, he came to Vegas as a seasoned age-31 blueliner, and he proceeded to make the All-Star team in 2022 before helping the team win it all in 2023. We’d say this was a quality acquisition! He’s delivered 23:59 ATOI in the regular season for the Golden Knights, while upping that to 24:05 ATOI in the playoffs. He peaked in 2022-2023 with 8.6 PS and continues to play for the team today.

No. 7: Mark Stone, RW—31 PS (2019-present)

He spent a handful of barely average seasons in Ottawa before coming to the Golden Knights in the middle of his age-26 season; he ended up on the All-Star team in 2022 and hoisted the Cup in 2023. He’s upped his production in Sin City to 279 points in 289 games, however … similar to the 64 points in 75 playoff games he’s contributed. The former sixth-round pick has done just fine for himself overall, thriving in the desert.

No. 6: Brayden McNabb, D—32 PS (2017-present)

The first original Vegas player on this list, he came to the expansion club after stops in Buffalo and Los Angeles at age 27. He’s been a solid, third-line defenseman without much ado, overall, although he did get to raise the Cup in 2023: his 19:09 ATOI in those playoffs were important, albeit not special (4 points in 21 games). His best season with the team (5.5 PS) came last year, although he already has 4.4 PS this season.

No. 5: Reilly Smith, RW—33 PS (2017-2023)

He, too, was an original Golden Knight who hung around long enough to win the Cup in 2023. He was a third-round pick long ago, playing for Dallas, Boston, and Florida before joining Vegas in its first season (his age-26 year). There’s little that has been remarkable about his career at any stop, including this one in the desert. He put up 66 points in 88 career playoff games with the organization, though, doing his duties.

No. 4: Marc-André Fleury, G—35 PS (2017-2021)

After many distinguished years in Pittsburgh, he was selected by Vegas in the expansion draft and promptly made two more All-Star teams with the Golden Knights in 2018 and 2019. He led the team to the Cup Finals in its very first season, which remains an incredible accomplishment. His 28-19 postseason record with the team came with six shutouts and a .920 save percentage. Considering he was in his age-33 season in 2017 …

No. 3: William Karlsson, C—43 PS (2017-present)

Now in his age-32 season, he is the second player on this list to have been an original Golden Knight who still skates for the team today. Anaheim and Columbus couldn’t find use for the former second rounder, but he joined Vegas in 2017 and topped the NHL in plus/minus rating his first year in the desert. He won the Lady Byng that season and has hung around long enough to win a Cup and still be a contributor this season.

No. 2: Jonathan Marchessault, C—48 PS (2017-2024)

Another franchise original, he had played for Columbus, Tampa Bay, and Florida before ending up in Sin City as an age-27 journeyman. Never a competitor for a major award, he nonetheless played pretty well for an undrafted free agent and won a Cup with the team in 2023: his 75 points in 95 playoff games here demonstrated he probably should have been drafted at some point. His 13 playoff goals topped all in 2023.

No. 1: Shea Theodore, D—54 PS (2017-present)

It’s only appropriate that the top guy on this list is both an original Golden Knight and still with the team today: a late first rounder, Anaheim gave up on him, and he found success in the desert across Interstate 15. Twice he finished Top 6 in the Norris vote (2020-2021), and of course, he was a member of the Cup champions in 2023. He was in his age-22 season when he joined Vegas, so he could keep playing forever.