(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

A concerning trend resurfaced this week, and it’s one Golden Knights fans are going to want to turn a blind eye to.

In the last 9 years, no Stanley Cup champion has had more than 2 forwards over the age of 32. If the Edmonton Oilers win the Cup next year, they will have 9.

— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) July 6, 2024

Of course, the Oilers did not win the Stanley Cup last year, so for ten straight years each champion had two or fewer forwards over the age of 32 years old. Going into this season, the Golden Knights will have six. Four of them already own Stanley Cup championship rings, and the streaks exist to be broken.

2025-25 VGK’s Senior Forwards

Reilly Smith (34)
William Karlsson (33)
Brandon Saad (33)
Mark Stone (33)
Tomas Hertl (32)
Colton Sissons (32)

In 2023, the Golden Knights cruised to a five-game Stanley Cup Finals victory with two forwards 32 or older on the roster. Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault was 32 when he won the sport’s ultimate individual award. The other forward was 37-year-old Phil Kessel, who suited up for only four of VGK’s 22 playoff game run.

When Vegas knocked off Florida, the average age of their forward group on the ice was 25.5 years old. On this upcoming opening night, the Golden Knights’ average forward age will be a youthful 30.3 years old. While history shows the Golden Knights are above the ideal age, they are still one of the deepest and most talented lineups in the Western Conference.

So, now that we’ve seen all three sessions, here’s the first look at the lineup:

Barbashev-Eichel-Marner
Smith-Karlsson-Stone
Saad-Hertl-Dorofeyev
Howden-Sissons-Kolesar

McNabb-Theodore
Hanifin-Whitecloud
Lauzon-Korczak

Hill
Schmid

— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) September 18, 2025

Edmonton made it to back-to-back Stanley Cup finals with nearly half of their forward unit at the age of 32 or older. They ended both seasons as the Stanley Cup finals runner-up. This season, they’ve trimmed it down to four senior forwards. Two fewer than the Golden Knights.

As for the other Western Conference contenders, some are in the same boat as Edmonton and Vegas. The Dallas Stars, Los Angeles Kings, and Winnipeg Jets each have four core forwards 32 or older. Other challengers, Minnesota and Nashville, each have five forwards 32 and older.

A few Western Conference bubble teams are in good shape heading into the season. St. Louis, Utah, and Vancouver are all clear from the 32-and-older trend. Plus, there’s always time between now and June for younger players to break into lineups.

The trend is certainly a bit concerning, especially with how far on the wrong side VGK sit, but the Golden Knights are no strangers to making history, so there’s no reason to believe they can’t do it again and shatter this one.