The biggest surprise through the first half of the NHL season has been the Vegas Golden Knights. The league’s newest team is currently leading the Western Conference, and is boasting fantastic talent. Although Vegas has only been in existence for a few months, they are off to a better start than any other expansion team in its first season.
With the league’s new expansion draft rules, Vegas was set up for greater immediate success than any other expansion franchise in history. The NHL wanted to make sure that Vegas would have a chance to succeed immediately, so that their market could grow faster, and not take years like many other expansion markets did.