The outlook is bleak when it comes to whether or not we will be treated to Vegas Golden Knights hockey again this year.
In truth, none of us really know if the Vegas Golden Knights will get to write a conclusion to the 2019-20 NHL season, with all of us being dictated to by health officials and COVID-19 itself.
Although the NHL is currently entrenched in talks when it comes to floating ideas about what hockey could look like if it does return this year, it won’t matter until the pandemic slows down.
And, with every passing day the window is shrinking when it comes to trying to salvage this season while ensuring that the integrity of the Stanley Cup and the 2020-21 season is protected.
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The only way sports will return this year is if the virus is brought under control, so we are all playing a waiting game and, frankly, it is out of our control.
Of course, there is a hope that the NHL can still crown a champion this year and they will do whatever they can in order to accomplish that goal.
Ask the majority of the players, including Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault, and they will stress their desire to do whatever it takes to resume this season as long as they get the green light to do so.
There are some who aren’t as optimistic, of course, including LA Kings defenseman Drew Doughty who told The Athletic that he can’t see how the season can return.
Doughty does have a point in that there are a plethora of obstacles the NHL would have to jump over in order to salvage 2019-20, some of which we have covered and we’ve mapped them out below.
- Knights would still be kings if NHL rolls back to 68 games
- Time to consider worst-case scenario
- Playoff formats that would and wouldn’t work for VGK
- Working out what hockey may look like
- Protecting 2020-21 may be the best option
However, we aren’t here to go back over old ground but, rather, try and shed light on a positive even if the worst-case scenario was to take place…
Not All Is Lost
Look, it would be a travesty if the NHL can’t return this year and a 2019-20 Stanley Cup Champion isn’t crowned.
In the grand scheme of things, though, that is tonka trucks compared to the heartbreak thousands upon thousands of people are going through in this country and beyond.
However, should there be no return for sports this year, not all will be lost for the Vegas Golden Knights.
After all, while they are built to win now the roster has also been constructed in a way that will allow this team to compete for years to come.
With an elite core, including Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, Shea Theodore all locked up through 2022-23 and beyond, the Golden Knights have quite a while before their window slams shut.
Granted, all teams in a hard salary cap sport have to pay the bill eventually but that day isn’t even on the horizon for the Golden Knights yet.
They have the luxury of being able to boast one of the most firepower-laden rosters in the NHL, while they have some exciting young offensive talent in the ilk of Peyton Krebs, Jack Dugan and Lucas Elvenes standing on the precipice of making the leap to the NHL.
Plus, with Marc-Andre Fleury still harvesting some good hockey in the tank coupled with Shea Theodore’s emergence as a legit stud, not to mention a crop of high-end defensive prospects coming through the system, the immediate future is still bright for the Vegas Golden Knights.
They Will Be Back
Whatever happens this year, the Vegas Golden Knights will be back.
Even if sports can’t return this year and, as a result, the NHL has to freeze the salary cap at $81.5 million for the 2020-21 season, the Golden Knights will still be able to boast one of the best rosters in the league.
Granted, they probably won’t be able to add a big-ticket free agent or drastically bolster their depth, but they will have the cap space to be able to re-sign pending free agents in the ilk of Ryan Reaves, Chandler Stephenson and Nicolas Roy should they wish to do so.
They will still have one of the best goalies in the NHL in Marc-Andre Fleury between the pipes, while Alec Martinez has proved to be a valuable pickup on the blueline.
Also, Max Pacioretty has really established himself as a key piece on this team while the likes of Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault are all elite top-six forwards.
Not to mention the fact that Cody Glass will be a better player and a better person after a testing rookie year, while the Golden Knights could have a secret weapon and 50+ point scorer if Alex Tuch can remain healthy.
Put simply, not a lot will change for the Vegas Golden Knights even if hockey doesn’t return this year, and they are poised to still be a real contender both in 2020-21 and beyond.
So, while things are a bit gloomy right now, just remember that all is not lost for the Golden Knights even if the unthinkable was to happen this year.