What lessons the Sens can learn from the semifinalists

Vegas Golden Knights

The lesson: Identity is overrated, just get good players

One thing sports fans love is a good narrative, and the NHL playoffs are a gold mine for those. Some of the narratives are contradictory though, so fans and writers alike have to pick and choose. Or, they could really lean into the gimmick by putting two opposite narratives side-by-side with reckless abandon.

Despite being consistently one of the best teams since their inception, the Golden Knights have not been afraid to make big changes to the roster. In fact, more than half of the players who played for them in the deciding game of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals are no longer with the team. The likes of James Neal, Erik Haula, and Nate Schmidt have been moved out and replaced by Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Alex Pietrangelo. Not only have these players changed the makeup of the team, but they are also drastically better than those they replaced.

Is this a fool-proof strategy? No. The Golden Knights gave up top prospects Erik Brannstrom and Nick Suzuki (more on him in a bit) to make this happen and have yet to return to the finals. But by not being complacent, they’ve improved their roster dramatically.

This is why I’m hesitant to completely dismiss the idea of trading for Jack Eichel, even at the expense of what the team already has. If Vegas can turn over their roster, surely the Sens aren’t too good to improve theirs. Eichel may not be the perfect example, as the price may be astronomical, but Vegas shows that even very good teams should be looking to add game-breaking talent at every opportunity.