Vegas Golden Knights Report Card: Jon Merrill
Jon Merrill continued to go from strength-to-strength in 2018-19, evolving into a reliable top-four calibre defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Jon Merrill: Grade C+
Our 2018-19 Report Cards for the Vegas Golden Knights return today as we turn the magnifying glass on Jon Merrill, who really came of age this year as an NHL-worthy blueliner.
His Season
After playing a bit part role in the team that reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2017-18, all eyes were on Merrill coming into training camp ahead of the start of the 2018-19 season.
Merrill skated in just 34 regular season games in 2017-18, posting one goal and two assists for three points in addition to a plus / minus rating of +2 in eight playoff outings.
He averaged 16:05 minutes of ice time a night last year and all signs pointed towards the left-shot being a seventh defenseman at best.
However, something seemed to change overnight in training camp and Merrill set his stall out early, playing with a newfound level of maturity and confidence.
There were peaks and valleys, plenty of them in-fact. Merrill found himself sat in the press box as a healthy scratch for long stretches but he kept on grinding away and ultimately got his just rewards.
Looking at the numbers, the 27-year-old played 57 games in the regular season, logging 17:53 minutes of ice time a night on average, totalling three goals and 12 assists for 15 points, achieving career-highs in goals and points and equalling a career-high in helpers.
His plus / minus rating of +16 was also a career-high and he went on to skate in all seven of Vegas’ postseason games.
He failed to register a point in the playoffs and posted a plus / minus rating of -2, but by that point he had proved himself as a blueliner the coaching staff could trust and put their faith in.
As already mentioned however, it wasn’t always plain sailing for Merrill who endured a rocky start to the year alongside Nick Holden with Nate Schmidt out of the lineup due to a 20 game suspension.
The pair were often caught out in their own zone and it took a while for that particular combination to mesh.
Merrill did pay the price for that slow start having been a health scratch for all but one game from Nov, 18 through Dec, 22.
An injury to Colin Miller opened the door once more for Merrill, however, and the 38th overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft took his opportunity with both hands.
He produced a decent level of offense and mustered up a highlight-reel play in February when he fired a sublime pinpoint 100-foot pass through traffic, which teed up Cody Eakin for a goal in a crucial 3-2 road win at Tampa Bay Lightning.
Merrill seemed to flourish with the more action he was given and he proved that he can be a reliable presence on the blueline for Vegas, which could take on even more importance given the question marks over the futures of Miller and Deryk Engelland.
Why the grade
After going through more than one valley in the first-half of the year, Jon Merrill showed tremendous character to come back into the lineup and be a solid performer for a team that were chasing vital wins down the stretch.
He logged on average 17:53 minutes of ice time a night in the regular season and was leaned on even more during the playoffs, totalling an average of 18:25 minutes of ice time per game.
dark. Next. Big Draft ahead for VGK
Achieving a career-high in points (15), Merrill isn’t just a one-trick pony and he will need to continue to excel in both zones if he wants to nail down a regular top-four roster spot on the blueline.
With Colin Miller the subject of trade talk and Deryk Engelland entering this summer as an unrestricted free agent, the onus could be on Merrill to step into a top-line or second-line role on a more consistent basis in 2019-20.
Whether or not Merrill can produce the goods on a consistent basis to morph into a genuine top-four blueliner remains to be seen, but he certainly showed signs of promise in 2018-19 and proved that he can be relied upon in key situations.
The numbers
Games: 57
Goals: 3
Assists: 12
Points: 15
PIM: 53
ATOI: 17:53
Plus / Minus: +16
Hits: 71
Blocked Shots: 72
Takeaways: 16
CF%: 59.1
Games (Playoffs): 7
ATOI (Playoffs): 18:25
Next Report Card: Reilly Smith