Vegas Golden Knights: The one that got away

Every team in the NHL suffers a stinker every now and then when it comes to failing to keep hold of a high-end player, and the Vegas Golden Knights are no different.

And, unfortunately, the Vegas Golden Knights were given a stark reminder of such an example on Saturday against the St. Louis Blues.

Having failed to record a single point in his previous four outings against the Golden Knights, David Perron obviously had enough and he proceeded to put on an absolute show at T-Mobile Arena.

Tallying two primary helpers in the first period alone, Perron was the main reason alone that Vegas was in a three-goal hole.

And, although the Golden Knights would go on to have the last laugh by winning an exhilarating contest in overtime, Perron gave T-Mobile Arena a reminder of what they once had by unleashing a rocket of a slap shot past Marc-Andre Fleury.

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It was a big three-point night from Perron who also got into it with Max Pacioretty to cap off an eventful return to Sin City.

But, if you are a Golden Knights fan, you couldn’t help but dream of what may have been if Perron was still a member of the franchise.

Let’s backtrack a little bit before we move forward, however. Perron was of course selected by Vegas in the 2017 Expansion Draft, and he went on to play a key role during that magical run to the Stanley Cup.

Having recorded 46 points for St. Louis the year before, Perron was relied upon to produce offense for the Golden Knights and he did that and then some.

Through 70 regular season games, the left wing potted 16 goals and tallied 50 assists for 66 points, with 18 of those points coming on the power play.

He contributed a further 9 points (one goal, eight assists) in the playoffs as the Knights were eventually defeated by the Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Final.

Perron was much more than an offensive threat for Vegas, though. He logged an average of 17:49 minutes of total ice time per game, while dishing out 118 hits, 20 blocked shots and he also amassed 48 takeaways.

He was a key cog in that “Golden Misfits” team both on the ice and in the locker room, and Perron’s wealth of experience was a perfect tonic for an expansion team trying to establish their identity in their first year in the NHL.

The only thing missing from Perron’s one and only season with the Golden Knights was a Stanley Cup, which would have been the icing on the cake for the veteran who will always be remembered for the role he played during Vegas’ historic inaugural year.

However, while Perron wanted to remain in Las Vegas, the two parties couldn’t come to terms on a new deal and, as a result, Perron returned to the team he was drafted by after signing a four-year contract with the Blues.

And it has been nothing but success, success and more success for the forward since then, who racked up 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) in the playoffs as St. Louis created their own history last year by going from last place in the NHL at Christmas to winning the Stanley Cup.

What can top that? In truth, nothing but Perron is certainly scaling the heights again this season as he leads the Blues in points with 43 (17 goals, 26 assists).

He should go to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game in St. Louis provided he is voted in via the “Last Men In” ballot, while the Blues currently sit atop the Western Conference and look a good bet to potentially reclaim their crown.

So it was somewhat strange watching Perron in full stride against his old team on Saturday, showcasing elite vision and passing skills that makes him one of the most underrated playmakers in the NHL.

Able to log big minutes, play up and down the situation and effective in all situations, what the Vegas Golden Knights could do with David Perron right now.

This team’s lack of secondary scoring is well documented, and you can’t help but wonder if the Golden Knights would be the team sitting atop the Western Conference right now if they had Perron, instead of the Blues.

Of course, you should always live in the now but Saturday reminded us all of one of the rare mistakes the Vegas Golden Knights front office made by allowing a potent offensive weapon in David Perron walk in free agency.

Granted, the Golden Knights opted to go and pursue other fish in the ocean such as free agent center Paul Stastny, but sometimes you can’t put a price on a swiss-army knife type of player in the ilk of Perron.

The Vegas Golden Knights’ loss has certainly been the St. Louis Blues’ gain.