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Vegas Golden Knights Assigning Vadim Shipachyov to the Chicago Wolves Is a Big Mistake

By Richard Cardinale

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 17: Vadim Shipachyov #87 of the Vegas Golden Knights looks on during a game against the Buffalo Sabres at T-Mobile Arena on October 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 17: Vadim Shipachyov #87 of the Vegas Golden Knights looks on during a game against the Buffalo Sabres at T-Mobile Arena on October 17, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Golden Knights won 5-4 in overtime. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Sending your biggest offseason acquisition to the minors is not the best look for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Even in a world when the Vegas Golden Knights are 6-1-0 and second place in the Pacific division, we need to find something to complain about. Sometimes there are situations you can’t control when you’re a general manager. However, when other options get left on the table, that’s when fans start to scratch their heads.

Let’s start with the good news. The Golden Knights activated forward Jonathan Marchessault from the injured reserve on Tuesday. It’s always welcoming to get a critical piece to your offense back in the lineup from injury. But that’s where the bad news comes in.

Of course, teams must make a corresponding move when activating a player from IR. General Manager George McPhee made the tough call sending forward Vadim Shipachyov down to the Chicago Wolves. And let’s just say that move raised a ton of eyebrows.

I get why McPhee sent Shipachyov down to the AHL affiliate. Shipachyov is one of the few players on this roster that doesn’t need waivers to get sent down to the minors because of how his contract is structured. However, it’s not an excuse for a 4.5 million dollar player.

McPhee should have handled this situation a lot better if you ask me. There are many ways where he could have dealt with this. Most people suggested the Golden Knights should waive defenseman Griffin Reinhart instead.

Reinhart has yet to play a single shift this regular season, and it doesn’t look like he’s making his way into the lineup anytime soon. With eight other defensemen on the roster, I just don’t see how the former first-round draft choice cracks a spot in the lineup.

The other option is, of course trading a player, most likely a defenseman. McPhee would probably get less than what he wants for any blueliner at this stage of the game. But I can’t see him waiting all the way till the NHL Trade Deadline on February 28th to get max value for a defenseman.

The 30-year-old KHL star refused to play for the Wolves after not making the big roster to start the season. So it’s anyone’s guess whether he plays or not in the American Hockey League. All I know is, McPhee is really pushing his luck with his most significant acquisition of the offseason.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights Defenseman Colin Miller Impressive Early On.

All in all, Shipachyov should get the first call-up as soon as another injury occurs. It concerns me that he won’t play in Chicago to stay in game shape. He does deserve to play in the NHL however. Hopefully, McPhee clears this situation up sooner rather than later.

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