Vegas Golden Knights: 5 players who should be considered for Captain
We are in the thick of the offseason and the Vegas Golden Knights have done a good job of ticking off the majority of items on their summer to-do list.
For instance, franchise center William Karlsson was locked down to a eight-year, $47,200,00 contract early on in the offseason while locker room leader Deryk Engelland was also brought back on fresh terms by the Vegas Golden Knights.
Depth players in the ilk of Tomas Nosek and Brandon Pirri were also handed new deals to remain in Sin City, as was Malcolm Subban who will now face competition for the backup goalie position following the acquisition of Garret Sparks in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs last week.
In-fact, the only big question mark remaining for the Golden Knights is the future of restricted free agent Nikita Gusev, who is holding out for a two-year deal worth $4 million per year. More moves will have to be made by Vegas in order to free up the cap space needed to bring the Russian stud back to Sin City, and whether that happens or not remains to be seen.
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However, there is one other question that still needs answering and that’s whether or not the Vegas Golden Knights will anoint someone as the first-ever Captain in franchise history for 2019-20. They have operated a rule by committee approach during their first two years of existence with a number of players wearing the “A” on their jersey.
The likes of Engelland, Reilly Smith, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Max Pacioretty have all served as Alternate Captains at one point or another for the Golden Knights, while Marc-Andre Fleury is one of the undisputed locker room leaders and someone who helps to set the tone on and off the ice for the franchise.
However, getting ready for their third year as an NHL franchise, it is about time Vegas decide on the best candidate to wear the coveted “C” on their jersey and there are a plethora of worthy candidates currently in the locker room.
Of course, they aren’t the only NHL team without an official Captain with the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks and the San Jose Sharks currently without a Captain.
We’ve gone through the options and picked out five players who boast all the credentials and qualities needed to become the first Vegas Golden Knights Captain in franchise history, starting with someone who many would say is the obvious choice…
Deryk Engelland – The Hometown Hero
This is without doubt both the most obvious and popular choice among fans for who should be named the first Captain of the Vegas Golden Knights. Deryk Engelland is adored in Sin City and he has all the qualities you would want from the player wearing the “C” on their jersey.
Having begun his lengthy hockey career in the ECHL with the Las Vegas Wranglers, Engelland is a long-time resident of Vegas and he and his family hold a special place in their hearts for the city, which is evident based on the tremendous amount of charity work they carry out within the local community.
Not only that but Engelland rapidly became the face of the franchise after being taken by the Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. He very quickly became the go-to guy for the plethora of players looking to relocate to the area in the wake of the Expansion Draft, and he was relied upon to forge a strong bond between a group of strangers getting ready to play together as a team for the very first time.
And then there is the emotional side. The residents of Las Vegas will always cherish Engelland for the role he put on his own shoulders following the tragic mass shooting that rocked the city on Oct, 1. He made sure that Vegas’ brand new hockey team was out in full force at blood drives and he was a strong presence at memorials and when meeting with the victims’ families, first responders and those who were deeply affected by the shootings.
Who will ever forget that deeply moving and powerful speech Engelland gave prior to the Golden Knights’ home opener? In that small snippet alone we saw the true measure of the man and the kind of leader he is.
Engelland is a glue guy in the locker room and he is without doubt the true face of this franchise. He leads by example on and off the ice and you can clearly see how much respect he demands from both his team-mates and the Vegas coaching staff.
Yes, he’s reaching the end of his career and his playing abilities are starting to regress somewhat, as backed up by a tough season last year. However, he still has a role to play for the Knights and is the perfect mentor for the slew of high-end defensemen that are on the cusp of making the leap to the NHL.
Having recently signed a new one-year deal with a cap hit of $7,000,000, Engelland would be the perfect choice to be the first Captain in franchise history for the Vegas Golden Knights, who could then give the “A” to the players they think would be worthy of taking over the “C” once Engelland does eventually hang up his skates.
Max Pacioretty – The Experienced One
Is there anyone better equipped to handle the pressures of becoming the Captain of an NHL franchise than Max Pacioretty?
The 30-year left wing wore the prestigious “C” on his chest for three seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, which many dubbed to be the toughest job in all of hockey given the high expectations that constantly surround one of the most storied franchises in the NHL.
Pacioretty had to shoulder all of that responsibility and he also had to deal with the constant barrage of criticism that came with being Captain of the Canadiens. There was no escape from the relentless pressure of being a high-profile figure in the hotbed of a Canadian hockey market and the forward was always under the microscope.
Despite what some may say, he seemed to thrive and relish being in the middle of such a fierce atmosphere, totalling 168 points (82 goals, 86 assists) during his three seasons with the “C” on his chest, with the last of those years coming on a Montreal team that were miles away from being at the peak of their powers.
Pacioretty has a wealth of experience and he can also do his talking on the ice through his leadership and his vast array of skills. He was trusted with an “A” on his jersey early on in his Vegas career and he finished his inaugural year in Sin City with 22 goals and 18 assists for 40 points.
You can make a strong argument that being the Captain in Vegas would carry far less pressure compared to being the leader in Montreal, therefore still allowing Pacioretty to focus on his natural game in addition to the responsibilities that come with wearing the “C” on your chest. Signed through with Vegas until 2023, Pacioretty could be the perfect long-term choice for Captain for the Golden Knights.
Plus, being the only member on the current roster to have had the experience of wearing the “C” on his chest for an NHL team, Pacioretty knows what comes with the job and also what is expected of someone in that position. He’s an expert when it comes to fronting up to the media in tough scenarios and he also boasts the knowledge of how to handle a locker room as the leader of the team.
Mark Stone – The Popular One
Mark Stone has emerged as many Vegas fans’ preferred choice to become the first Captain of the Golden Knights since his arrival at the Trade Deadline.
Not only is he an elite two-way forward in the NHL, but Stone is also considered to be one of hockey’s good guys and he is a hugely popular figure in the locker room and among coaching staff and front office executives.
Also, the 27-year-old has history when it comes to being looked at as a leader having been an Alternate Captain for two of his eight years for the Ottawa Senators, including two of the most controversial and crisis-ridden two years in franchise history.
Stone was the main figure who tried to hold a shattered and fragmented dressing room together in both 2017-18 and for the first-half of 2018-19, a group of players that were ravaged by a string of controversies and questionable decision making from front office executives.
That didn’t go unnoticed by other players and notable figures in hockey, who all took stock of Stone’s leadership abilities and his ability to get the best out of his team-mates in the most trying of circumstances.
Also an Alternate Captain for Team Canada at the 2019 IIHF World Championships, where Canada won a Silver Medal, Stone has quickly become another pillar of what is a strong locker room foundation in Vegas.
He wowed fans with his prowess on the ice, finishing the year with 33 goals and 40 assists for 73 points (for Ottawa and Vegas combined) and he was also a Selke Trophy finalist after leading the entire NHL in takeaways with 122. Stone also recorded 12 points (six goals, six assists) in seven postseason contests for the Golden Knights.
Signed through until 2027 with an eight-year, $76,000,000 contract, Stone has already established himself as one of the faces of the franchise for Vegas and he appears to have all the tools needed to become a respected Captain of an NHL team.
Shea Theodore – The Stud Blueliner
Scott Stevens, Denis Potvin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Zdeno Chara. What do those players and Shea Theodore all have in common?
Not a lot at the moment is the honest truth given that Stevens, Potvin and Lidstrom are all Hall of Famers while Chara will almost certainly follow in their footsteps once he has eventually hung up his skates. All four belong in the upper echelon of the greatest defensemen to have ever played the game and Stevens and Lidstrom in particular wouldn’t look out of place on the Mount Rushmore of NHL blueliners. They also all have at least one Stanley Cup on their resume.
Theodore, of course, is nowhere near that level yet and it is hard to say at this stage whether or not he will reach the levels of the greats mentioned above. But, what he could have in common with that foursome one day is the opportunity to wear the famous “C” on his chest.
This may be slightly out of left-field given his age but, at 23-years-old, Theodore is already developing nicely into a leader both on and off the ice for the Golden Knights. He achieved career-highs in games (79), goals (12), assists (25) and points (37) last year, while logging an average of 20:06 minutes of ice time per night.
He can play on the power play and he’s also a stud in the defensive zone as shown by his 91 blocked shots, 27 hits and 82 takeaways in 2018-19. There are still wrinkles and kinks in his game that need ironing out, but he’s still a few years away from reaching his prime and playing at the peak of his powers so he has time on his side when it comes to becoming the finished product.
That in itself is exciting for the Golden Knights who could have an elite NHL blueliner on their roster for the foreseeable future with Theodore locked down until 2025 with an average annual value of $5,200,000, which could prove to be an absolute bargain if he continues on his upwards trend.
Theodore is arguably the best blueliner Vegas has in their possession and he will only get better the older he gets. Giving Theodore the “C” would give the left shot more responsibility and, as already shown throughout his career, he thrives when the pressure is really on.
There is a lengthy list of successful and prestigious defensemen that have worn the “C” on their chest woven into the rich tapestry of the NHL, and there is no reason to suggest why Theodore couldn’t join that group one day given the current path he’s on.
Shea Theodore is young, he’s still got his best years of hockey ahead of him, he has a high ceiling in terms of his potential, he’s respected in the locker room and he’s under control until the summer of 2025, which should put the blueliner firmly in the conversation of who should be the first-ever Captain in franchise history for the Golden Knights.
William Karlsson – The Dark Horse
This may be a surprising inclusion for some but let us map out the reasons why William Karlsson should be in the mix to at least be considered a potential candidate to wear the “C” on his jersey.
First and foremost, he’s absolutely adored by both his team-mates and the Vegas fans and he would make a hugely popular choice for Captain. Popularity contests shouldn’t dictate alone who becomes the official leader of this franchise, of course, but it helps when you are both respected and loved by your colleagues and those who support you from the stands.
Karlsson is also morphing into an elite two-way center in the NHL having received votes for the Selke Trophy in each of the last two seasons. He was also the winner of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 2017-18, an award given to the NHL player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.
The 26-year-old is about to hit his prime but he’s already been playing at the peak of his powers for the Golden Knights, totalling 134 points in his first two seasons in Sin City along with a further 20 points in two postseason runs.
He’s also durable having become the only Vegas player to skate in all 82 regular season games for two consecutive years, and that is crucial because you don’t want your Captain consistently missing large chunks of games throughout the year.
Karlsson has become an unstoppable force and his play on the top line alongside Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault has been a huge contributing factor to Vegas’ success early on in franchise history. The trio have combined for a staggering 330 points in the regular season during the last two years and they should now be considered one of the best and most potent lines in the NHL.
As already mentioned, Karlsson also plays a superb 200-foot game and his defensive stats were impressive last year – 55 blocked shots, 51 hits and 73 takeaways in addition to a winning percentage of 47.6 in the faceoff circle.
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He is bound to only get better too and he is the long-term future of this franchise having signed a eight-year deal worth an average annual value of $5.9 million earlier in the offseason. That is another colossal factor too given that Vegas have one of their key assets under control through 2026-27.
Due to the fact that he is already a vital member of this Stanley Cup contender, is a well-respected and much-loved figure and is committed to Vegas for the long haul, Karlsson might be a surprising choice but he’s also a logical candidate to become the first Captain in franchise history for the Vegas Golden Knights.