4 disappointing Golden Knights who didn't show up in 2024-25

Do you want to know the most annoying thing in the world? It's when a random YouTube ad plays when you're trying to fall asleep. Suddenly, you hear this loud person who looks like Felipe Carvalho talking about cleaning rags. You certainly don't want to see that during an open heart surgery tutorial, do you?

Sure, there's the trash-talking fan of your rival team that's also a pain. In fact, you can equate them to the annoying YouTube video. But perhaps the most underrated thing that's annoying is when your team's players underperform, leading to your team's untimely demise.

For Vegas Golden Knights fans, that was a cruel reality a week ago. They watched their superstars disappear under the bright lights as they were sent packing in five games. It's not the best look for a team looking to win another Stanley Cup. That's especially true during the regular season, when certain players don't show up.

So who can we express our sheer disappointment in for the regular season? Who fell flat on their faces and never got back up? Here's the thing, dear reader. Four names come to mind in this regard.

These four names didn't have the best 2024-25 season, leaving the Golden Knights in their current predicament. Let's look at what went wrong with these four players and why they're on the list.

1.) Nicolas Roy

Idiotic cross-checking in Game 2 aside, Nicolas Roy saw his point total take a massive dip. Yes, he tied his career-high in goals scored with 15. However, his assist total was nearly sliced in half in 2024-25, dropping to 16 (Roy had 28 the season before).

His other stats saw a noticeable drop, too. He became more predictable and wasn't as much of a factor (stats courtesy of MoneyPuck).

Mind you, he played one more game than in 2023-24. He also dealt with a shift to the wing position, where he's uncomfortable. Getting Roy back to being a productive fourth-line driver starts with getting him back to center. That way, he can carry his line and become the same player he was in 2023-24.

2.) Alex Pietrangelo

There has been an entire post regarding Alex Pietrangelo's decline. The defenseman has seen his defensive stats take a nose dive this season, with the following numbers dropping significantly from his 2022-23 campaign.

However, one reason was pointed out as being the main catalyst: Pietrangelo's age. The native of King City, Ontario, is 35 years old. He's nearing the end of an illustrious playing career that consists of two Stanley Cups.

While the 2024-25 season was massively underwhelming for Pietrangelo, it comes with getting older. Perhaps a limited role will help him bump some of these numbers back up. Maybe fans must wait until 2027 for his $8.8 million cap hit to come off the books.

3.) Ivan Barbashev

On the surface, it appears that Ivan Barbashev had an excellent 2024-25 season. 23 goals and 28 assists looks good, especially with Jack Eichel driving the line.

However, digging past these numbers reveals some problems with the Russian winger. For one, he was an absolute liability on the power play. Barbashev scored two goals and one assist on the unit this season, disappearing when called upon.

He was also nearly non-existent after returning from his upper-body injury. Before he was hurt on December 15 against the Minnesota Wild, Barbashev had 30 points (15 goals and 15 assists). Since that injury? He had 21 points (eight goals and 13 assists).

The drop-off has been noticeable in being taken off the top line during the Stanley Cup playoffs. By the way, he had one goal and one assist during the postseason. Now, fans are wondering if he'll stick around longer or be traded. Maybe a rebound campaign and taking more shots will help him get back to prominence.

4.) Alexander Holtz

Now, for arguably the biggest disappointment of the 2024-25 season: Alexander Holtz. I'll admit that even I misread the Swedish forward. 16 goals and 12 assists looked promising on the surface while with the New Jersey Devils. However, it appears Tom Fitzgerald and company stunted the winger's growth.

The result? Four goals and eight assists in the next season. While he had a better 16-game campaign with Henderson (seven goals and six assists), the sting of being a combination of bad luck and disappointing play hurt him. Now? Kelly McCrimmon is searching for better options in the lineup.

The good news is he's 23 years old. The bad news? He's a restricted free agent. Even with a modest increase from his $894,167 cap hit, Holtz must show he can be the sniping winger as promised. Otherwise, he'll go down as one of the biggest disappointments in Golden Knights history.