Vegas Golden Knights: Dansk agrees to extend stay in Sin City
Oscar Dansk and the Vegas Golden Knights have just renewed their vows.
Vegas Golden Knights General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced on Thursday that the franchise has signed the goaltender to a one-year contract extension with an average annual value of $700,000.
It is a two-way deal.
Dansk, the 31st overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, signed with the Golden Knights on July 1, 2017 before re-signing on July 6, 2018.
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Predominately an AHL goalie, Dansk finished the 2019-20 American Hockey League regular season with an 18-12-4 record to go along with a 2.57 Goals Against Average and a .908 Save Percentage.
He also made one NHL outing for the Golden Knights but it was one to forget, giving up six goals on 37 shots in a tough loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Oct. 21, 2019.
Dansk was also the starter for the Chicago Wolves during their run to the Calder Cup Final in 2018-19, finishing the regular season 27-13-2 with a 2.46 GAA and a .913 Sv%, before putting up a 2.48 Goals Against Average and a .911 Save Percentage in 19 postseason outings.
Of course, Dansk is more well known for his heroics during the early stages of the 2017-18 season when the Golden Knights were hit by a slew of injuries between the pipes.
With the likes of Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban down, Dansk stepped in to the breach and performed admirably, going 3-0-0 with a 1.78 GAA and a .946 Save Percentage, while also stopping a career-high 32 saves to record both his first career shutout and the first shutout in franchise history against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 27, 2017.
So, what does Dansk’s extension means for the Golden Knights?
It is likely that the 26-year-old will begin the 2020-21 season as the starter for the Henderson Silver Knights in the American Hockey League.
However, the backup job for the Golden Knights in the NHL could also be up for grabs throughout Training Camp and the preseason.
Current backup Robin Lehner is a pending UFA this off-season and is widely expected to sign elsewhere, while Garret Sparks is also set to hit the open market as a UFA this summer.
Depending on what the Golden Knights do in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft or free agency when it comes to addressing the backup goalie question, Dansk could have the chance to become a regular on the NHL roster.
If not, he’s a proven starter in the AHL and he will give the Henderson Silver Knights some much-needed stability during their inaugural year in the American Hockey League.
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However, no matter how it all shakes out, Dansk’s new deal gives the Vegas Golden Knights some security when it comes to goaltending depth and he’ll be close by if the big club needs some cover for Marc-Andre Fleury at any point during the 2020-21 NHL season.