We are creeping ever closer to training camp and preseason hockey which means that our beloved Vegas Golden Knights will soon be back in action.
It seems a lifetime ago that the Vegas Golden Knights last took to the ice, which is no surprise given that the franchise were dealt both an unwanted and unexpected early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs following that painful and heartbreaking loss to the San Jose Sharks in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round.
However, fear not, because training camp is on the horizon and we are just a couple of weeks away from seeing the Golden Knights in action for the very first time in 2019-20.
Of course, preseason is a peculiar beast and it is certainly getting a lot of attention in NFL circles, with many branding it a pointless exercise due to the fact that very few teams now play their starters and even Week Three, which has traditionally been looked upon as the dress rehearsal for the regular season, has proved to be a damp squib with a bunch of unknowns taking to the field.
Ice Hockey is a completely different sport, of course, and as such preseason does take on some importance, mainly because it gives coaches a sustained period of time to test out different line combinations and systems in competitive environments, while it also gives rookies and fringe players alike a golden opportunity to show why they should be on the opening night roster.
But, it is fair to suggest that even preseason in the NHL can become a bit of a drag very quickly with fans, front offices, coaches and players all wanting the competitive thrill of the regular season injected into their veins as quickly as possible.
While that will be the case for the Golden Knights heading into their third year as an NHL franchise, there is a strong argument to put forward as to why they would be wise to take this preseason as seriously as possible.
Why’s that? For starters, they suffered from a Stanley Cup hangover last year and, as a result, got off to a slow and sloppy start in the regular season, finishing October with a 5-6-1 record. The biggest difference this year is the fact that they have had a much longer break after falling at the first hurdle in the postseason, but that is why the preseason takes on added importance.
Although results in the preseason will take on the lowest importance in terms of priorities, there is a chance to regroup and build some momentum heading into the regular season, which will be vital to flying out of the traps and not losing any ground to the likes of the San Jose Sharks or the Calgary Flames, who will both be big threats in the Pacific Division again, not to mention the vastly-improved Vancouver Canucks.
Expectations are high for the Golden Knights and rightly so given the star power they have accumulated since entering the NHL. Forget about being a third-year expansion team, you are expected to win when you boast the likes of Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Paul Stastny and Marc-Andre Fleury on your roster.
As such, enjoying a fruitful preseason should set the tone for what is to come once the real battle commences in October, and the Knights won’t want to be playing catchup again as they did for the majority of 2018-19. After all, you want to make your path to the Stanley Cup as easy as possible and winning the Pacific Division would help in that goal.
Also, there are roster spots up for grabs and preseason will be huge for the likes of forward Brandon Pirri, who has chance to make the left wing berth on the third line his own with a strong training camp. Inconsistency has marred his obvious wealth of offensive talent thus far, but the wing has a real chance throughout the preseason to prove that he has what it takes to finally stick in the NHL.
Preseason will also hold plenty of importance for the likes of Nic Hague, Jake Bischoff, Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud who will all be slugging it out for the final roster spot on the blueline heading into 2019-20.
After trading Colin Miller to the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the offseason in order to create much-needed cap space, there is room for a young stud on the blueline from the very get-go this year and that will be crucial for this franchise given that the blueline is arguably the team’s Achilles’ heel.
With Deryk Engelland nearing the end of his career and Nick Holden proving that he isn’t the long-term or even short-term answer on the defense for this franchise, there is a chance for one of these rookies to show what they are made of and morph into a true lynchpin on the blueline for the Golden Knights.
So, although we may well find ourselves having a good old grumble in a couple of weeks from now and be longing for the real action to commence, the preseason will be a vital exercise for the Vegas Golden Knights for a whole host of reasons and it should be treated as such.