The first step in starting a new NHL franchise is to hire a General Manager; and the expansion team in Las Vegas did just that by pegging former longtime GM of the Washington Capitals, George McPhee.
His tenure in Washington was a lengthy one lasting 17 years, before he was fired following the 2013-14 season. So, his experience in doing the job goes without saying, and he hit it off well with new owner Bill Foley.
Sorry Don, you're still unemployed
It's no surprise that McPhee was chosen over six other candidates (with former Arizona Coyotes' GM Don Maloney being one of them) because of his style of play, and his vast knowledge of how to run a team. He likes to put an exciting team on the ice, and he knows how to win.
His Capitals teams won five of six divisional titles, but just couldn't get over the hump to advance further in the playoffs.
He describes his style of play:
"I don't like that sit back style of hockey," McPhee said. "I like pressuring pucks all over the ice. I love the way Pittsburgh played this year and they won the Stanley Cup. We'll be doing the same kinds of things. I want to win now, too. We may have an opportunity that other expansion teams haven't had in putting a good team on the ice a lot quicker."
The reason for that is the expansion draft rules will be such that this new NHL expansion team will have a much better chance at landing some quality players. But, McPhee also believes that the core of a good NHL hockey club begins with the NHL Draft.
"I think your best players are your draft picks," McPhee said of the NHL Entry Draft. "We'll get a nice squad together [in the expansion draft], but our elite players will have to come through the [entry] draft.
"I think we'd done tremendously well with the draft in Washington. We came up with a methodology that worked and I'm going to bring that here."
Calling all free agents
The new Las Vegas (Knights?) will also have some freedom to spend some of Foley's funds to attract free agents to the Sin City team. After Foley dishes out that $500 million expansion fee, will he have any money left?
While most onlookers would think his next logical step is hiring a head coach, he sees no rush to so, and probably won't until next summer. What he will begin to do immediately is to hire scouts, and other staff members to assist him in selecting the best possible players in the expansion draft next June.
Don't think that there aren't critics of McPhee for pulling the trigger on one of the worst trades made in the league. He traded Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat. Forsberg has gone on to play some excellent hockey for the Nashville Predators, while Erat was a huge disappointment and was traded a year later in a minor deal.
Good job Mr. Foley
Making McPhee GM might just be the best move owner Bill Foley has made thus far, but it's just the foundation for better things to come. Both Foley and McPhee are on the same page of wanting to win, and win soon.
And for an NHL expansion team, that has not always been an easy task to undertake.
Then again, this dynamic duo might just show us all what it takes to build a winner from the ground (ice?) up.