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Vegas Golden Knights: The Importance Of The Deryk Engelland Signing

By Richard Cardinale

LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 10: Deryk Engelland #5 of the Vegas Golden Knights addresses the fans on the tradegy of the prior week in Las Vegas prior to the game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Arizona Coyotes during the Golden Knights' inaugural regular-season home opener at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 1, Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured more than 450 after he opened fire on a large crowd at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - OCTOBER 10: Deryk Engelland #5 of the Vegas Golden Knights addresses the fans on the tradegy of the prior week in Las Vegas prior to the game between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Arizona Coyotes during the Golden Knights' inaugural regular-season home opener at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. On October 1, Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured more than 450 after he opened fire on a large crowd at the Route 91 Harvest country music festival. The massacre is one of the deadliest mass shooting events in U.S. history. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Vegas Golden Knights resigned one of their key unrestricted free agents.

Every team that wants to win the Stanley Cup, they need to have a steady veteran defenseman to step up down the stretch. The Vegas Golden Knights have plenty of veteran defensemen playing above and beyond expectations this year. However, the one that’s stood out the most and who ‘s made the most significant impact thus far is Deryk Engelland.

The Las Vegas resident is one of the biggest fan favorites on the team and who could blame the fans? He’s a physical presence, he blocks shots, and he’s been chipping in more offensively in key spots this season. He can do it all at the age of 35 years old.

With the way he’s been playing, and how he’s getting along with other youthful defensemen like Nate Schmidt and Shea Theodore, it’s a no-brainer that Head Coach Gerard Gallant plays him a ton.  We’ve finally seen Engelland thrive and it only took a few games for Gallant to notice. But now, the Golden Knights and general manager George McPhee took it to the next level.

On Monday, the Vegas Golden Knights announced that they had signed Engelland to a one-year contract extension. The deal is worth 1.5 million dollars on next years cap. I have to say; this agreement is the perfect move for both parties.

The Golden Knights paid a lot less than what I thought Engelland would get on the open market. And if Engelland does feel like he has more to give, he can always retire and ride off into the sunset. He’s been the ultimate team player for this hockey club.

In 41 games played, he notched three goals, ten assists, 13 points and a plus/minus rating of +9. What else could convince you that Engelland is a good signing for the Knights? And the answer to that question is his words.

It all started with his speech that shook Las Vegas after the terrible events of October 1st. The way he delivered that speech was incredible, and he couldn’t end it off any better. “Vegas Strong.”

He’s so crucial to this team because he plays a massive role in Theodore’s game. Theodore has since gotten better in each outing, and he looks fantastic playing with a much older player in Engelland. Since he started playing with Engelland, he’s been looking sharp on the defensive side of the puck which I found pretty shocking how fast he picked it up. And you can thank Engelland for helping the future number one defenseman in those areas of the game.

The Edmonton, Alberta native is also an immense leader in the dressing room. He also wears the letter “A” on the front of his jersey for a reason and the players like him a ton. As a result, when Engelland speaks everyone listens whether it’s good or bad.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights First Half Report Cards: Forwards

All in all, Deryk Engelland has done a sensational job for the Vegas Golden Knights. In addition, he never managed to touch the Stanley Cup trophy. However, perhaps with Vegas, this may be his best shot yet.

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