Vegas Golden Knights: This could be the year of what ifs

We are all adjusting to life without the Vegas Golden Knights and sports in general, and this could be just the start of the new normal.

Due to ever-growing concerns over the coronavirus, the Vegas Golden Knights and the rest of the NHL hit the pause button on the 2019-20 regular season last Thursday.

Major League Baseball, the NBA and the MLS did the same, while a bevy of other sports leagues and events were also cancelled, including the NCAA March Madness tournament.

While new developments and guidelines are emerging on a daily basis, we know that we probably won’t see any Golden Knights action until at least mid-May.

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And, given how serious the COVID-19 has become, it is feasible that all sports are completely cancelled until next year.

That in itself is a sobering thought given we all cling to sports for an escape, but there is a bigger picture at play here and the health of everyone the world over has to come first.

But, if the NHL season was to end without any playoffs, then 2019-20 will be known as the year that could have been for the Golden Knights.

After all, they have shown flashes of their true potential in recent weeks following an inconsistent first-half of the regular season.

While many, myself included, were stunned by the firing of Head Coach Gerard Gallant, the hiring of Peter DeBoer did begin to reap some rewards.

For instance, the Golden Knights went 15-5-2 under DeBoer prior to the regular season being paused and they were beginning to really find their groove.

Marc-Andre Fleury was starting to reach the peak of his powers again, while Robin Lehner went 3-0-0 with a 1.67 Goals Against Average and a .940 Save Percentage since being acquired at the Trade Deadline from the Chicago Blackhawks.

DeBoer was starting to squeeze the potential out of this group and they were on pace to win the Pacific Division for the second time in franchise history.

While this is still very much a fluid situation, it is likely that we will miss out on the chance to see the Golden Knights really hit their stride and wrap up the division.

We will also be denied the opportunity to see Max Pacioretty set a new career-high in points, while Shea Theodore‘s quest to break into the upper-echelon of two-way defensemen in the NHL has been halted.

And, perhaps most galling of all, we could have to face the reality of not being able to see the damage this team could cause in the postseason.

This roster is built to win the Stanley Cup right now and, with two elite goaltenders and a plethora of offensive weapons, they could have really wreaked some havoc in the postseason.

Of course, it is key to remain positive in times like this but you also have to be realistic and there is no guarantee that hockey will return this year.

And, if that is the case, then we will look back on 2019-20 as the year that could have been for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Let’s hope that’s not the case.