‘Everyone understands what our goal is’

LAS VEGAS — Perspective can be everything. Look no further than the Vegas Golden Knights.

Missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history last year has led to questions that had never really been asked about the team before. Then again, this is just the sixth season in franchise history, and the Golden Knights actually finished the 2021-22 campaign well above .500 while also posting the second-most victories in a season in their brief existence.

But lofty expectations have become the standard. That is what happens when a franchise reaches the Stanley Cup Final in its first season and the Western Conference finals in two others. Arriving at those heights only to fall short has since fostered a win-at-all costs culture. It has led the Golden Knights to change coaches along with significant portions of their roster at what might be considered a breakneck pace.

This is what happens when winning a Stanley Cup is the only goal that matters.

“I think when you come here to a team like this, your goal should be to win the Stanley Cup,” Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said. “I think we have the players in here to do it. I think that’s the standard this organization holds themselves to. … But it’s such a long way away. Nobody has ever achieved a goal eight months away tomorrow. You have to take care of your business throughout the year and give yourself a chance.”

Here is how perspective comes into play. Is it troubling that the Golden Knights have had three coaches since their first season in 2017-18? Or are they like every other franchise trying to win it all, given there are only three NHL coaches who were in their current jobs before the Golden Knights even played their first game?

Similar philosophical questions can also be asked of their roster. Is the discussion surrounding Eichel more about what impact he can have in his first full season? Or is it actually about asking how potentially dominant he could be in the lineup? The same approach could…