Vegas Golden Knights First Half Report Cards: Defensemen

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There’s a ton of defensemen depth on the Vegas Golden Knights roster, but there’s still room for improvement.

Everyone, including me, was extremely curious about the Vegas Golden Knights defense in the offseason. Not one defenseman averaged over 20 minutes last season for their former team. But Golden Knights Head Coach Gerard Gallant came into training camp with a plan.

In the preseason, Gallant planned to have all three defense pairs to split even ice time to and see who could/could not keep up with the NHL’s pace of play. The Golden Knights brought in ten defensemen for two reasons: A) to battle it out for roster spots and B) use defensemen as trade chips. However, they’ve yet to make any trades in the regular season thus far.

They’ve seen some players already exceed their expectations and some players underwhelmed in the first half of the year. Here’s how I’ll grade: Player performance, expectations coming into the season and the role the player serves. So without further ado, here are my grades for the blueliners of the Vegas Golden Knights. Jason Garrison and Clayton Stoner get incomplete grades due to not reaching the minimum amount of games.

Deryk Engelland

Before coming to Vegas, Deryk Engelland was your prototypical middle of the road 5th/6th defenseman. I expected him to fill that role accordingly except he’s done so much more for this team on the ice and off it.

For those who don’t know, Engelland is a Las Vegas resident and loves this city. And when the tragic events of October 1st occurred, no one on the Golden Knights was more disturbed than the big 6’2 214 lb blueliner. When it came time for the home opener, everyone fell in love with Engelland for the speech he made to the people of Las Vegas.

As for his performance, Engelland has never looked better. He’s been a fantastic mentor to his pairing partner Shea Theodore. The Edmonton, Alberta native has put respectable numbers thus far totaling three goals, ten assists, and 13 points in 40 games played.

It’s almost certain that the 35-year old will set new career highs for his offensive numbers because of the ice time Gallant has given him. However, Engelland isn’t the type to score and put up a ton of points, but he’s physical, trustworthy, and defensively sound.

Engelland has shattered all expectations, and it looks like he’s getting better as the year goes on. It’s unclear if he signs an extension with the Knights in the offseason, but he’s been a pleasant surprise to watch this year.

Grade: B

Brad Hunt

Not many people knew who Brad Hunt was coming into the year. He’s seen minimal NHL time with the Edmonton Oilers, St. Louis Blues and Nashville Predators. The 29-year old mostly seen work from the AHL but not this year.

Hunt was one of the defensemen who impressed Gallant in the preseason with his ability to move the puck. He played in more games than anyone ever expected with 18 games played and averaging a modest 17:30 of ice time. The Maple Ridge, British Columbia native already set a new career high in points with seven, but he’s also goalless on the year.

Hunt is the perfect seventh defensemen on this hockey club despite his small stature at 5’9. It’s hard for him to crack the lineup due to the number of players that’s ahead of him. He deserves decent grade because of the energy he brings when he is in the lineup.

Grade: C

Colin Miller

The Golden Knights precisely knew what they were receiving when they selected Colin Miller in the expansion draft from the Boston Bruins. Miller wasn’t utilized much in Boston and eventually was the odd man out. But it’s the Bruins loss and the Knights gain.

Miller’s slapshot accuracy drastically improved over the course of this season, and he’s been much better when to choose his spots to showcase his cannon of a shot. He’s also a fantastic skater and loves to move the puck up the ice quickly and efficiently. His offensive ability has shown as he currently leads the team in points among defensemen.

He’s totaled five goals, 16 assists and 21 points in 41 games played. And whats most impressive is he’s doing his part on the power play and penalty kill. The 25-year has elevated his play in his defensive end this year and has worked extensively with Luca Sbisa.

Miller’s excellent start to the year should only continue in the second half. He’s creating scoring opportunities and playing good defense all around. All he has to do now is cut down on penalties, and he can be a reliable number four defenseman.

Grade: B+

Brayden McNabb

During the season, the Knights extended pending free agent Brayden McNabb for four more years. McNabb is a stay at home defenseman and brings very little offense to the table. He’s usually a reliable player, but he does have his moments where he will make a mistake or two.

He’s a character guy and leads by example. The Davidson, Saskatchewan native only has eight points to his name this year. However, he earned a team-best +16 rating among defenseman. He showed his defensive partner Nate Schmidt the ropes and has been a great teacher up to this point.

McNabb’s physical presence is terrifying to his opponents. He makes some mean, nasty but clean hockey hits and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves which you have to like if you’re a fan of the fisticuffs in hockey.

The 6’4 212 pounder still has a lot left in the tank, and he’s one of the most trustworthy defenders on the team. Gallant uses him in the final minute of games when his club is up by a goal and looking to close it out. He earns a solid grade in my book.

Grade: B

Luca Sbisa

Luca Sbisa is also well known for his defensive zone prowess. He’s missed some time due to injury recently, but other than that, there’s not much to complain about here. Sbisa has moved on from the dark days in Vancouver to the bright sunlight in sunny Las Vegas.

Let’s not get carried away here, Sbisa only has one goal, nine assists, and 10 points. But he’s been a much better player since leaving the Canucks in the offseason. He’s consistently making the right plays all the time and almost every time.

Although, it still may not be enough to keep him in Vegas. If there’s one player I see general manager George McPhee shipping off, its the Ozieri, Italy native. He may be the one piece that may net back a prospect or a high draft pick.

However, if McPhee doesn’t elect to trade Sbisa, I won’t blame him one bit. My one major gripe with him is health as it has been an issue in the past. The 27-year old would love to see some playoff hockey for the first time since 2014-15.

Grade: B-

Shea Theodore

In all likelihood, Shea Theodore is the future of the blue line for the Vegas Golden Knights. This kid has shown flashes of greatness and mental errors as well. But that’s the life of an up and coming NHL defensemen at 22-years old.

When Knights fans found out their team acquired Theodore in a trade at the expansion draft in June, they were ecstatic and rightfully so. He moves the puck better than any other Knights defenseman and shows a ton of speed on the back end. The Langley, British Columbia native recorded four goals, nine assists and 13 points in 26 games played.

Pairing with veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland was one of the best moves Gerard Gallant made during the season. As each game passes, Theodore’s ice time increases and that means Gallant is trusting the 22-year old more and more. One concern I may have with him going forward is clearing pucks as that’s not one of his strongest suits yet.

Overall, Theodore is a superb talent, and the Knights are lucky to have him. We all know about his offensive ability, so I wouldn’t mind if he took the entire second half of the year to develop his defensive skills. But so far so good for the young stud blueliner.

Grade: B

Jon Merrill

When the Knights acquired Jon Merrill at the expansion draft, I immediately said seventh defensemen. And it turns out that’s what he is today. Merrill has been a bit underwhelming, but it’s hard to muster up any momentum with just 14 games played.

In those 14 games, he only scored one goal and one assist with a +5 rating. He’s not an offensive defenseman by any stretch. However, I will say this; He doesn’t make too many mistakes in the little ice time he gets.

He’s averaging only 16:15 of ice time and that’s not earning Gallant’s trust just yet. He’s giving an honest effort every time he goes out on the ice. But I’m not entirely sure if he’ll stick with this Golden Knights team for much longer especially with Brad Hunt lurking.

Grade: D+

Nate Schmidt

Another one of McPhee’s steals at the expansion draft that left many Capitals fans scratching their heads. Nate Schmidt has found a home playing for the Vegas Golden Knights and no longer has to worry about being underutilized. Gallant trusted Schmidt from the opening puck drop and has not gone away from him since and with good reason.

Schmidt is a fan favorite in the dressing room and loves to get his teammates fired up for a game. As for his offensive stats, he’s registered two goals, 17 assists, 19 points and a +13 rating. But the number that jumps out at me the most is his ATOI of 22:30. That number went up seven minutes from last years when he was with Washington.

The Schmidt and McNabb pairing is probably the best overall pairing on the team as they’re a combined +29 when they’re on the ice. Not to mention learning from a player like McNabb could be extremely beneficial for Schmidt. The 26-year-old has grown leaps and bounds from the beginning of the season thanks to McNabb and Gallant’s coaching.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights First Half Report Cards: Goaltenders

All in all, the St. Cloud, Minnesota native is having the best season of his career. There’s no reason to believe he will slow down anytime soon as he’s been the best overall defenseman this year for the Vegas Golden Knights. Schmidt earns the best grade out of any defenseman on the roster.

Grade: A-

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