Vegas Golden Knights: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare Is Worth It

Being a die-hard fan of the Philadelphia Flyers for years, I watched how valuable Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was to the Flyers. There is a reason the Vegas Golden Knights took him in the Expansion Draft.

When it was the Philadelphia Flyers turn in the Expansion Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights went with a different option than many expected. With a young player like Jordan Weal up for grabs, the Knights instead went with Bellemare. For fans that don’t follow the Flyers, some might say that this was a wasted pick. I’m here to say that in no way was this a bad choice.

Bellemare joined the Flyers in the 2014-15 season after playing in overseas his whole career. Centering their fourth line, he was not expected to be a phenomenal player. The Flyers gave him a chance and during his rookie season he earned only 12 points in 81 games. It was clear that he was a solid fit for the fourth line.

Bellemare is a great solution for the Penalty Kill

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In the 2015-16 season, Dave Hakstol started to give Bellemare more time on the Penalty Kill, giving Claude Giroux and Sean Couturier a break from playing it. He would go on and take over the second PK unit, earning around 190.9 minutes that season for PK TOI. He would also earn one shorthanded goal and fire 11 shots that season on the PK.

Bellemare would struggle during his last season for the Flyers, earning only eight points in 82 games. He did however earn more time on the PK, earning a total of 226.6 minutes. The Flyers PK might have struggled last season, but Bellemare did a great job when he was out there.

He deserves either the “C” or one of the “A”‘s

Bellemare was one of the better leaders for the Flyers. Before he wore the “A”, he showed a true love for the sport and his team on and off the ice. Even though fans thought he could pick up his play more, they knew how much he loved his team. After Mark Streit was traded to the Lighting at the deadline, I expected Jakub Voracek to wear the “A”. Hakstol instead gave it to Bellemare and I was shocked. I didn’t expect him to be that much of a leader towards the team.

What does he bring to the Golden Knights?

Bellemare is a solid fourth line center who can bring his talents to the third line. He can also play on the wing which makes him more flexible in the lineup. I can see him averaging around 10-15 points a season with solid players on his line. If the Knights use him on the PK (which they should) they should put him on the second unit.

I only recommend that the Knights do not try to use him for any other special teams. As a fourth line player, he obviously isn’t the great option for the Powerplay. Hakstol tried to use him during 3v3 overtime and that turned into a disaster.

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I never realized it until it was too late that the Flyers lost such a great player. I’m excited to see him play for the Golden Knights and I know he is one of the most underrated players on the roster.