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Vegas Golden Knights Have Shocking Record Without Brendan Leipsic

By Richard Cardinale

LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 25: Brendan Leipsic #13 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against the New York Islanders during the game at T-Mobile Arena on January 25, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JANUARY 25: Brendan Leipsic #13 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against the New York Islanders during the game at T-Mobile Arena on January 25, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Not having Brendan Leipsic in the lineup is not a great idea for the Vegas Golden Knights.

I really have nothing to complain about with this Vegas Golden Knights team. Come on, who expected this type of success? I most certainly didn’t, and none of the major sports media did either.

This club is without a doubt one of the most exciting teams to watch in the NHL this season.  The games are entertaining, and the team is winning, what more can you ask for from an expansion franchise? However, there is one thing that has me shaking my head.

Brendan Leipsic is a nice little player to have on the Golden Knights roster. The Winnipeg, Manitoba native brings a ton of energy to the bottom six of Vegas, and he does play his part on this team.  He earned countless opportunities to win over Head Coach Gerard Gallant, but I don’t think he has impressed the bench boss as of late.

In 39 games played, Leipsic has only totaled two goals, 11 assists and 13 points in the 2017-18 campaign. It’s weird because his linemates Alex Tuch and Cody Eakin are having much better seasons statistics-wise than Leipsic. He’s the most snakebit player on the team in every offensive category although he does provide other offense in a lot of ways.

Now listen, Leipsic is never going to be a 50-60 point player at the NHL level, it’s just not going to happen. However, what he will do is provide a spark, and he does follow Gallant’s hard work style of play. The 23-year old is an exhilarating player to watch on the ice but just doesn’t have a ton of finish when it comes to scoring goals.

Here comes the shocking part, I’ve been noticing Ryan Carpenter spotting in for Leipsic recently, and I was all for that till I went and did some research. Did you know the Vegas Golden Knights are 4-7-1 without Brendan Leipsic in the lineup? With him in the lineup, the team is 30-6-3.

That’s a pretty substantial swing. And it’s not like Leipsic hasn’t been healthy, he’s been 100% all year long.  How can a bottom six forward that provides so little offensively be so valuable? It may just be a coincidence more than anything, but he may be more play more of a role than what other people think.

We don’t know what goes on behind the scenes, yet Leipsic maybe a good locker room presence and keeps players loose. Or perhaps the hard work he displays in one on one battles rubs off on other players on the roster.

There could be many factors as to why Leipsic is creating such an impact on the Golden Knights roster. The player just gives the team an extra boost in speed and production when he’s out there. Gallant has his reasons why he’s scratching Leipsic, though I don’t think he should be the one who sits.

Next: Vegas Golden Knights: Best Expansion Franchise In NHL History

All in all, I genuinely believe the Vegas Golden Knights do have something with Brendan Leipsic. He’s not going to become Sidney Crosby but who says he can’t mature into a pro like Jay Beagle or even a player like Erik Haula? I like what Leipsic brings to the team, and I also liked what I saw from him early on. We’ll see if coach Gallant decides to use him against the Washington Capitals on Super Bowl Sunday at 9:30 AM PT on AT&T Sportsnet.

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