It’s a great time to be a hockey fan in Vegas.

The Golden Knights go for eight in a row Friday night at home against the Sabres, and more importantly, they look to extend their lead in what is a crowded Pacific Division. It wasn’t long ago that the city was up in arms about the abrupt firing of Gerard Gallant, flummoxed as to why George McPhee would fire a guy he knew the fanbase had fully embraced.

However, Peter DeBoer has won 11 of 16 since taking over at the helm, and the town is starting to warm up. Bill Foley and the front office have gone all-in hoping that this is the year that VGK can bring home a Stanley Cup, although there’s still a lot of work to be done.

Are the Vegas Golden Knights a legitimate Stanley Cup threat in 2020? Let’s look into that.

Vegas Golden Knights Odds to Win the 2020 Stanley Cup

Bovada BetOnline MyBookie +900 +800 +1000

I always urge my readers to shop their lines before placing any sports bets online, and the table above is a perfect representation of why.

The best hockey betting sites aren’t seeing this one eye-to-eye with regards to the Golden Knights’ chances — especially the folks at MyBookie. While Bovada and BetOnline have Vegas installed with the third-lowest odds to win the 2020 Stanley Cup, the Knights check in with the sixth-lowest at MyBookie.

As you can see, there is some added incentive to back VGK at the hockey sportsbook that offers you the most bang for your buck.

Let’s dive in and figure out if the Golden Knights are a sincere threat to be hoisting “Lord Stanley” come early June.

Addition of Robin Lehner

The Knights knew they needed to bulk up at the goaltender position in order to feel comfortable about their chances coming down the stretch. Marc-Andre Fleury has endured hardship this season and isn’t playing as consistently as we’re used to seeing, and Malcolm Subban simply can’t be trusted.

Rather than stand pat and hope things pan out, GM Kelly McCrimmon packaged Subban with a second-round draft pick and defensive prospect Slava Demin to Chicago in order to land the 2019 William M. Jennings Trophy award winner.

Lehner figures to see sufficient playing time and will take some of the burden off of “Flower,” as I except last year’s Vezina finalist to fit right in with the team culture. In fact, it could lead to DeBoer having to make some difficult choices in the postseason, but those are good problems to have.

Now armed with a serious “1-2” punch in the net, the Knights have dramatically bolstered their chance of winning a Stanley Cup.

Two “A+” Lines

We all know how important depth is in hockey, so it’s worth noting that the Knights have not one but two lines that can skate with anybody in the NHL.

Peter DeBoer hasn’t been shy about toying around with different options, and VGK’s current seven-game winning streak demonstrates that perhaps he’s finally hit the jackpot.

Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone on the wings with William Karlsson in the middle give DeBoer a star-studded trio who can all score goals at the drop of a hat. When Jonathan Marchessault, Paul Stastny, and Reilly Smith hit the ice, the team doesn’t skip a beat.

Let’s not forget that Chandler Stephenson is coming into his own since coming over from Washington or that Nick Roy and William Carrier are both reliable playmakers. Acquiring Nick Cousins from Montreal affords them yet another capable scorer in power-play situations.

With third and fourth lines that have no problem holding their own, the top two lines can focus on doing most of the damage.

In Pacioretty and Stone, you’re looking and two of the top wingers in all of the NHL — period. William Karlsson flashed his affinity for slapping pucks through the net when he accounted for 43 goals in 2018, leading the NHL in shooting percentage in the process. As these three accrue more time on ice together, we’re talking about one of the truly top-tier lines in the sport.

Once Marchessault, Stastny, and Smith tag in, the cohesion is blatant. The puck never stops moving as nobody cares who receives the credit. Jonathan Marchessault might be small in stature, but his leadership is palpable.

One might even say the 29-year-old Quebec City native is the glue that holds everything together.

Defensemen for Days

Trading for Alec Martinez is already seeming to pay off, as the 32-year-old veteran has produced six points in four games since joining forces with VGK. When you consider that he skates alongside a stalwart like Shea Theodore as part of Vegas’ second defensive pairing, you start to understand the potency of DeBoer’s defensemen.

As Martinez gets more and more secure with his role on this team, look for him and Theodore to really take off as a tandem that’s going to wreak a lot of havoc for Vegas.

Nate Schmidt and Brayden McNabb hold the fort down to start the game, and Nick Holden and Zach Whitecloud are no slouches themselves. Most teams in the NHL would be happy to lean on Jon Merrill and Deryk Engelland, yet they’re virtually “afterthoughts” in Sin City.

The surplus of proficient defensemen in Vegas is just one more thing to tack onto the list of reasons of why VGK is a true Stanley Cup contender.

Final Thoughts

What the front office brass achieved with the moves made prior to the NHL trade deadline elevates the Golden Knights into sincere threats to win the Stanley Cup. You can study this roster up and down looking for holes, but the likelihood is you’re just going to come up empty-handed.

A pair of bonafide studs in your goalie room? Check.

Two lines that can score goals against any line in hockey? Check.

An abundance of dependable defensemen? Check.

Now it’s time to finish the season strong and make a run at the Cup.