3 Golden Knights who deserve more respect

Such classic jokes will put a smile on the faces of many. That includes Vegas Golden Knights fans, who know a thing or two about entertaining acts. It doesn't matter if it's watching Blue Man Group or their favorite hockey team. Entertainment can always be found in Sin City.

Of course, that comes with some respected names in the business, ranging from Jack Eichel (28 goals and 94 points) and Mark Stone (19 goals and 67 points). Sure, other NHL fan bases might not respect the team or the players as much. However, they're beloved and cherished in the community.

However, some names haven't gotten enough respect. In fact, you can say these three players are the Rodney Dangerfields of the Golden Knights.

"Heh, my wife's afraid of the dark! She saw me naked, now she's afraid of the light!"

Well, it's not anything like that. However, these three Golden Knights players deserve more respect from their peers.

1.) Brayden McNabb

Brayden McNabb was his usual hard-hitting self in 2024-25. He posted 167 blocked shots, 131 hits, and 21 takeaways. He's done the excruciating work of being a pure defenseman, getting love for his contributions.

But there's also the offensive side of things for McNabb, who scored 15 assists this season. Sure, that might not be a career-best (22 assists in 2014-15 and 2023-24). The Misfit deserves more appreciation for being a silent offensive contributor.

2.) Keegan Kolesar

On the surface, people don't think about Keegan Kolesar much. He's just a fourth-line guy who grinds out every shift. That's not a bad thing, especially since every player has a role they're tied to. However, the native of Brandon, Manitoba, deserves more love.

First, he had a career season with Vegas, scoring 12 goals and 18 assists (both career-highs). He also lays out people with ease, registering 237 hits. Mix in a ferocious forecheck and Kolesar doesn't get enough love from the masses.

3.) William Karlsson

William Karlsson got plenty of hate from some members of the Golden Knights community this season. His numbers were drastically down from his solid 2023-24 campaign (30 goals and 30 assists), scoring nine goals and 20 assists this season. That's enough to enrage the podcasters and critics to a fever pitch.

However, there's a catch. The center only played 53 games with the Golden Knights. He dealt with a couple of injuries, including lower-body injuries and those of the undisclosed variety. Karlsson was still the same old special teams factor he's always been, scoring two shorthanded goals and six power play assists.

If he plays a few more games in 2025-26, expect the Misfit to be himself again. After all, his advanced stats show a better side of his postseason run (stats courtesy of MoneyPuck).