How Golden Knights disrupted the NHL, won the Stanley Cup

The first time Brayden McNabb thought about the Vegas Golden Knights winning the Stanley Cup was when owner Bill Foley spoke it into existence in Year 1.

"Playoffs in three. Cup in six," the defenseman said with a grin, recalling the owner's words back in 2017.

Then the Golden Knights went ahead and made the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season of 2017-18.

"After we did that, Bill said, 'OK, now Stanley Cup in three.' I don't know if that got published," forward Reilly Smith said.

From one perspective it was an understandable goal from an enthusiastic new owner. From another, Foley's timeline was completely bonkers.

There had been only six franchises in NHL history that required six or…