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Vegas Golden Knights: Three New Year’s Resolutions

By Andrew Steele-Davis

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 31: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on December 31, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 31: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on December 31, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 31: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on December 31, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 31: Jonathan Marchessault #81 of the Vegas Golden Knights celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at T-Mobile Arena on December 31, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /

It is a new year and also the start of a new Decade as the Vegas Golden Knights look to conclude their third year as an NHL franchise with a championship.

This is the start of a first full Decade for the Vegas Golden Knights who enjoyed a magical ending to the 2010s.

Entering the NHL in 2017, the Knights made a stunning run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural year before making the postseason again during their sophomore season.

They are once again considered a contender in 2019-20 and they will hope to go all the way and become the fastest expansion team in any of the major sports to win a championship.

And, in order to achieve that goal, we have come up with three New Year resolutions for the Vegas Golden Knights…

PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 23: Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Rangers takes a slapshot against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 23, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – DECEMBER 23: Tony DeAngelo #77 of the New York Rangers takes a slapshot against the Philadelphia Flyers on December 23, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. Trade for a puck-moving defenseman

This is hardly a new concept given that we’ve banged on about it for months now, but the Vegas Golden Knights need to apply a makeover to their blueline.

A radical one at that.

Although the defense has been better since the switch in systems, the Knights still lack a real game-changer and a horse on that blueline.

Granted, they may well wait until the summer when St. Louis Blues Captain Alex Pietrangelo could be available on the open market.

But there will be other cheaper stopgap options available prior to the Trade Deadline, including New York Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo.

DeAngelo, as we’ve mentioned before, ticks a lot of boxes for the Golden Knights including the fact that he can move the puck, he would help the transition game, he’s an elite skater and he can provide offense.

Look at his year for the Rangers so far. Through 39 games, he’s fourth on the team in points with 29 (eight goals, 21 assists), with nine of those points coming on the power play.

DeAngelo is also a right shot which is an added bonus given that Deryk Engelland is currently the only right shot on the active roster.

In order to embark on a deep postseason run the Vegas Golden Knights really need a high-end playmaker on the blueline, and that should be their biggest New Year’s resolution.

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