Roster construction is a year-round task that comes into focus during the Stanley Cup Final, when the league can examine what the two teams that outlasted the other 14 did to reach the championship series. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights arrived at the final by following distinct philosophies: Carolina uses every available avenue to improve its club, while Vegas has pursued an aggressive, win-at-all-costs approach that has come to define the franchise.
Carolina has made eight straight playoff appearances and reached the Eastern Conference final four times in that span, including three of the past four seasons. The franchise has had two general managers in that stretch: Don Waddell, who left Carolina in May 2024 and is now president of hockey operations and GM of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Eric Tulsky, promoted from assistant GM and credited with guiding the Hurricanes to the third Cup Final in franchise history. Rod Brind’Amour has been the only head coach throughout the eight consecutive postseasons, ranking as the third-longest-tenured bench boss in the NHL.
Building through the draft has remained a priority under Brind’Amour. In 2018-19, the Hurricanes roster included 17 players who were drafted by the club and played at least one game. Several drafted players from the earlier rebuilding period — including Justin Faulk, Warren Foegele, Brett Pesce and Nicolas Roy — remain in the NHL with other teams. The organization also emphasized accumulating draft capital beginning with Waddell’s arrival in 2014; Jaccob Slavin (2012) was already in the system when Waddell joined.
Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final in its inaugural 2017-18 season and has made the playoffs in all but one campaign since. The Golden Knights have also had two recent general managers: George McPhee, now Vegas’ president of hockey operations, and Kelly McCrimmon, who was promoted to GM in 2019 and built the roster that won the 2023 Stanley Cup. Coaching turnover has been higher in Vegas, with John Tortorella hired in late March as the fourth coach since 2017, replacing Bruce Cassidy; Tortorella previously won a Cup in 2004 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Carolina’s identity centers on structure and puck control; according to Natural Stat Trick, the Hurricanes led the playoffs with a 59.39% 5-on-5 shot share, allowed the fewest shots per game and had a top-two penalty kill. Vegas has been comfortable without the puck, posting a 48.53% shot share, while ranking second in goals per game this postseason and boasting a top-four power play and a top-five penalty kill. The teams also differ in roster usage: Carolina mixes experience and youth, while Vegas leaned on nearly its entire lineup, with Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel among postseason scoring leaders and Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden tied for the most postseason goals; of the 20 players who skated in the Western Conference final, 19 registered at least one point.
