The Vegas Golden Knights will be looking for a big win in the Twin Cities tonight when they take on the Minnesota Wild.
After dropping a tough one in a shootout to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, the Vegas Golden Knights hit the road hoping to get back to winning ways.
They face a team in the Wild who moved on from one of their cornerstone pieces this week, and we’ve put together some storylines to watch out for…
Storyline 1 – No Zucker
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you would have heard that the Minnesota Wild was involved in the first big trade prior to the Trade Deadline.
In a transition phase right now, Wild GM Billy Guerin opted to send forward Jason Zucker to the Pittsburgh Penguins for forward Alex Galchenyuk and prospect Calen Addison on Monday, in addition to a conditional first round pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
This was a huge trade and the Penguins get a proven wing in Zucker, while the Wild officially start what could be a long rebuilding job.
It was no doubt a sad day for Wild fans given that Zucker was drafted by the organisation in the 2010 NHL Draft, recording 132 goals and 111 assists for 243 points in 456 games.
So tonight will be the first look at Minnesota without one of their cornerstone pieces, and this could be the start of an interesting period for the Wild.
Storyline 2 – Fresh Start
Sticking with the Minnesota Wild theme, it will be interesting to see the debut of Alex Galchenyuk tonight.
Acquired as part of the Jason Zucker trade, Galchenyuk will be hoping that the Wild will be the team to help unlock his potential.
After all, the forward has failed to really light up the NHL despite entering the league with lofty expectations after being selected with the third overall pick by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.
Galchenyuk struggled in Arizona with the Coyotes while he also failed to really impress with the Pittsburgh Penguins, totalling just 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 45 games this year.
So, the trade to Minnesota represents another fresh chance for Galchenyuk and he will have the opportunity to get off to a dream start against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Storyline 3 – Guess Who’s Back, Back Again
Yes, Ladies & Gentlemen, William Karlsson is expected back on the ice for today’s showdown with the Minnesota Wild.
Karlsson has been dealing with a broken finger since Jan. 14 but will lace up his skates, although it has been suggested that the forward will play on the third-line.
If this is true, it is a huge mistake given how valuable Karlsson is to this franchise, coupled with his proven chemistry on the top line with Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault.
Simply put, you don’t give your franchise center just 14 minutes of ice time a night, and it remains to be seen exactly how long that experiment will last for against the Wild.
But, one thing is for sure and that’s the fact that Karlsson’s return will greatly help the Golden Knights on special teams.