Vegas Golden Knights: Deryk Engelland may not get his fairytale ending

The NHL and the Vegas Golden Knights will feel the long-term effects of the current coronavirus crisis, and it could really impact one player in particular.

Sports across the world are currently on hiatus due to the ongoing concerns driven by COVID-19, and the Vegas Golden Knights are awaiting the fate of the 2019-20 NHL regular-season.

It is possible that hockey could return in the summer with the NHL jumping straight into the playoffs, but there is also a very realistic chance that the season is cancelled completely.

Should the unthinkable happen and the current season is abandoned, then it could result in a less than glorious ending for Golden Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland.

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Now, before I dive in, let’s preface this by stating that I have no inside knowledge when it comes to Engelland’s personal leanings in regards to his future.

But, at 37-years of age and having been a healthy scratch for large chunks of this year, the end could be near for the veteran.

Set to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, Engelland only has a cap hit of $700,000 but he has become expendable under Head Coach Peter DeBoer.

Skating in 49 games in total this year, the defenseman only featured on five occasions under DeBoer, with rookie Zach Whitecloud and fellow veteran Nick Holden forging a strong partnership on the third pairing.

Although still a great penalty killer in addition to a valuable leader on and off the ice, Engelland’s play has regressed and it doesn’t appear as though he is a long-term part of the future plans at T-Mobile Arena.

For instance, the Golden Knights signed Whitecloud to a two-year extension on Sunday after the rookie really flourished under DeBoer, while Holden was also signed to a new deal at the Trade Deadline.

When you throw into the mix that Alec Martinez was brought in prior to the Deadline and has a year remaining on his current contract, coupled with the fact that the likes of Nic Hague, Jimmy Schuldt, Jake Bischoff, Dylan Coghlan and Kaedan Korczak are all waiting in the wings, then there doesn’t appear to be a roster spot for Engelland.

Plus, there is also the matter of the salary cap and how big a knock it will take due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Reported only a few weeks ago that the cap could rise to anywhere between $84-$88 million for 2020-21, it is certainly more feasible now that it will remain at the $81.5 million figure that was set for this year.

In that scenario, the Golden Knights are currently committed to spending $72,625,000 on 14 players.

They have five UFA’s to deal with, including Engelland, and three RFA forwards in Nicolas Roy, Chandler Stephenson and Nick Cousins.

Now, it is likely that all three forwards will get new deals but the trio combined will eat up a sizeable chunk of the cap between them, while the Golden Knights will also need to either re-sign goalie Robin Lehner or target a new backup netminder.

Given that Lehner would want more than his current average annual value of $5 million, Vegas will have a bevy of tough decisions to make with fourth-line mainstays Tomas Nosek and Ryan Reaves also both UFA’s in the summer.

As a result, it is likely that both Jon Merrill and Engelland could be allowed to walk given their limited importance to the team on the ice.

Obviously, Merrill’s departure would be easier to take because, after all, Engelland has been very much the face of this franchise since the Golden Knights entered the league in 2017.

Already a Vegas resident, Engelland helped to forge a strong bond between a group of players that were coming together for the very first time, while he was at the forefront of helping an entire city heal following the tragic Vegas shootings on Oct. 1.

For that, and his incredible speech on opening night, the defenseman will forever be woven into the tapestry of this franchise.

And, despite showing signs of regression in his play, Engelland hasn’t been awful by any stretch of the imagination.

For example, the blueliner had an impressive CF% of 52.6 in 49 games while logging an average of 17:33 minutes of total ice time per night with a plus/minus rating of +6.

Although he only had six points in that span (one goal, five assists) but, let’s face it, he is more of a shutdown defenseman, Engelland did rack up 86 blocked shots, 114 hits and 15 takeaways with 17 giveaways.

Then there is the penalty killing. As already mentioned, Engelland is perhaps at his best when his team has their backs up against the wall, and he played a major part in the Golden Knights having the 10th-ranked penalty kill in the NHL in 2017-18 (81.4%), and the 12th-best the following year with 80.9 percent.

But, again, this is a business and a numbers game and all signs point to this year being Engelland’s last as a Vegas Golden Knights player.

With the blueline largely set for the future with a bevy of high-end prospects in the system, coupled with the Golden Knights’ need for a puck-moving defenseman, Engelland’s face just doesn’t fit anymore.

An unrestricted free agent, Engelland could opt for a new challenge elsewhere but, with his family settled in the area, retirement could be on the cards.

Given his importance to this franchise and his knowledge of the organization, it would be feasible to suggest that the front office could offer Engelland a non-playing role in some capacity, which would certainly be beneficial in a number of aspects.

However, whether the veteran retires or signs with another team, he may not get his fairytale ending with the Vegas Golden Knights.

With the coronavirus not slowing down and with the NHL having now postponed the Combine, the NHL Awards and the 2020 NHL Draft, there is no guarantee that hockey will even return this year.

Should that dreaded outcome actually happen, Engelland will be robbed of taking to the ice in a Golden Knights uniform one last time.

And, given the blood, sweat and tears he has given to this franchise, that would be a crying shame to say the least.

A crying shame.

Deryk Engelland deserves better than that.

And let’s hope he gets it.