Who is the Most Valuable Player This Season?

With hockey right around the corner, the coaches and players are looking to secure a role with their desired teams. With the Knights looking to make a run for the Stanley Cup, they are going to need players to step up.

The Vegas Knights have came so close to the Stanley Cup each and every year, but have never actually won it. After bringing in Nolan Patrick, and Evgenii Dadonov, along with Peyton Krebs growing as a player each and every day, they actually have a chance. Although their team is filled with talent all the way through, they are going to need players to step up in a big way. With that being said, who’s the most valuable player to the Knights?

That question is going to create some controversy amongst the readers of this article. Little do you know, I’m writing this article for that conversation. There are so many unique, and skilled players on the Knights, and it’s hard to pinpoint just one player. So even though I’m going to try to pinpoint just one, feel free to tag us or comment below and let me know your thoughts as well! So with that being said, lets get into the article.

Since coming into the league in 2017, they have built a very reputable and engaging community of fans. Even more than that, they have been obtaining top tier talent each free agency in order to help them succeed. The goal for the players and the coaches is to win the Stanley Cup. So far they have gotten close, but close isn’t good enough for the players, the coaches, the owners, or the fans. So who is going to be the key to help them win the Stanley Cup this year? My pick: Robin Lehner.

Robin Lehner, G

For many people, it’s hard for them to imagine a world without Marc-Andre Fleury in goal, but they have to give Lehner some credit. After a rough game one against the Avalanche by Lehner, Fleury took over in net. If you recall the Canadiens series after getting past Colorado, Fleury wasn’t the hot-hand in goal by any mean. Lehner took over and really gave them a fighting chance. Now it’s easy to say my optimism is due to the fact I want him to succeed, but reading stories on the player Lehner is, it gives me hope.

Have to give some credit to The Athletic’s, Jesse Granger, for the article to help back my take. Lehner is the epitome of a player who loves what he does, and it can show. Lehner arrives at the stadium well before anyone else, and is doing nothing other than watching film on the opponent and learning their tendencies.

When it comes to learning the sport and becoming the best you can be they think it’s strictly just practicing, but there is so much more to it. You have to learn tendencies of players, see if they have any tells in their game, and then learning on how you can use that to your advantage. For example, if a player always makes a move left before loading up for shot, if he see’s that coming in game, he knows a shots coming. Or if a player has the tendency to try to put it on the left shoulder with all of his shots, he knows where the puck will be going. Studying film is incredibly important to success at the next level.

With that being said, that doesn’t help one of the things that has held him back his entire career: His figure. His figure, which granted him the nickname “Panda”, due to the fact he embodies the shape of a panda. However, after knowing he has to be quicker, and simply get better, he spent the off-season losing weight in order to help increase his short area quickness in order to help him get better at making saves after a backdoor pass.

One thing you can’t argue with Lehner is that he is dedicated to the job, and is willing to do what it takes. Once against my optimism for the Knights and wanting them to succeed could be blinding. However, they could’ve dealt Lehner over Fleury, they had to get rid of one of them, but they kept Lehner. That action alone shows the faith the staff has in him. So, now it’s go time and see how Lehner handles himself in that position.