One of the most surprising players for the Vegas Golden Knights thus far has been Luca Sbisa.
The Vegas Golden Knights are off to the hottest start in expansion team history going 4-1-0 in their first five games. The NHL’s newest franchise has done very well so far overcoming adversity and giving a solid effort each game. And if it weren’t for a few mistakes in the third period on Friday nights game against Detroit, we’d still be talking about this team being undefeated.
Some of the high-end roster players have shined more than others. One of those players being James Neal who’s on a feverish pace scoring six goals in five games for the Golden Knights. Neal should hit the 20 goal plateau for a 11th consecutive season with ease.
Of course Marc-Andre Fleury deserves a ton of credit as well. Even by losing to the Red Wings on Friday night, Fleury still owns a 3-1-0 record with a 2.48 GAA and a .925 save percentage. The Sorel, Quebec native is probably the MVP for this team five games into the young season.
Other players have contributed in a big way such as David Perron and Brendan Leipsic upfront. Nate Schmidt and Deryk Engelland have done the job on the blue line in more ways than anyone ever expected. But the one player that has shocked me the most out of anyone on this roster has to be Luca Sbisa.
Performance wise, Sbisa has been one of the top defensemen on this roster. Never in my wildest dreams have I thought I would be saying that. Most people thought he would be one of the players pegged to get shipped out right after the expansion draft.
Instead, Sbisa ranks second on the Golden Knights in ice time and is tied for team-high three assists. Schmidt is Sbisa’s defensive partner, and they’re a pretty solid unit when they’re on the ice. Schmidt moves the puck and brings more offense while Sbisa is the more physical defensive presence on the blue line.
As a matter of fact, Sbisa leads the team in hits with 13. The 27-year old only reached 20 points in his career once, and that was six years ago with the Ducks. So it’s pretty fair to say he won’t reach those numbers on this club. The Ozieri, Italy native will never be an offensive defenseman, but he’s limited the defensive mistakes and turnovers.
One of Sbisa’s most significant flaws is turning the puck over. Last season with the Vancouver Canucks, he gave the puck away 50 times. So it’s encouraging to see Sbisa having a fresh start somewhere new. Perhaps he did need a change of scenery from where he was in Vancouver.
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We must keep our expectations of Sbisa low just because of how limited he is on the offense. However, if Sbisa can sustain his strong defensive game up, the Knights defensive corps will be a lot better than what people thought. And if the Vegas Golden Knights don’t challenge for a playoff spot as the trade deadline approaches, Sbisa would be a fantastic trade chip for General Manager George McPhee.