Vegas Hockey Knight
Fansided

A Holiday List For The Golden Knights

By Jacob Walters

Jun 5, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) celebrates with defenseman Zach Whitecloud (2) after defeating the Florida Panthers in game two of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 5, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) celebrates with defenseman Zach Whitecloud (2) after defeating the Florida Panthers in game two of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s that time of year again. Temperatures are dropping, the Vegas Golden Knights are atop the NHL, and Mariah Carey has thawed from her frozen slumber to serenade us with “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” That also means plenty of giving across the globe, where all the well-behaved boys and girls get presents.

Vegas has some items they’d like under the tree. They’re looking to repeat as Stanley Cup champions with said items and begin the Sin City Dynasty. After all, they’ve behaved themselves in the past year.

But getting the following items will help get the ultimate gift back in their hands. What do the Knights need the most? What can Vegas do away with and re-gift to, say, the Edmonton Oilers?

More Production For Ivan Barbashev

Last season, the Russian center was acquired from St. Louis to act as a No. 2 for Jack Eichel. He was also brought in to boost the power play, which has stood as Vegas’s long-time problem.

He succeeded last season, turning him and Eichel into the hockey version of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. In 23 games with the Golden Knights in 2022-2023, Barbashev tallied 16 points, along with two power play goals.

This season? He only has eight points in his first 24 games. On top of that, he only has one power play goal and doubled his penalty minutes this season (12 in the first 24 games this year compared to six as a Golden Knight last year).

Signing a five-year, $25 million contract in the NHL comes with heightened expectations and responsibilities. This is especially true when your team has a target on their back. So far, Barbashev hasn’t delivered on either, making Vegas’s life harder.

A Better Golden Knights Power Play

Barbashev’s current woes leave the power play unit with more room to improve. Entering the Washington matchup, the Golden Knights sat at 14th in the NHL with a power play percentage of 21.2. While that isn’t awful, it stands to improve.

Mainstays like Eichel (four power play goals), Mark Stone (eight power play points), and Shea Theodore (ten power play points) have done their part. However, Theodore will miss some time with an upper-body injury, complicating matters further.

If Vegas wants to permanently bury their power play bugaboo, they must return to basics. That means proper positioning and capitalizing on scoring chances, something that has been a problem for the Golden Knights in the past.

A Clean Bill Of Health For The Golden Knights

On the note of injuries, it isn’t just Theodore who’s felt the pain. Zach Whitecloud missed time to start the season with an upper-body injury, prompting him to be moved to long-term injured reserve.

Vegas hasn’t just been devastated by defensemen injuries in recent memory, though. Last season, the Golden Knights were hammered with goaltender injuries. Nobody was safe whether it was Adin Hill, Logan Thompson, or even Laurent Brossoit.

Emerging with a healthier team will make repeating as Stanley Cup champions much easier. Of course, it’ll help when younger players like Kaedan Korczak step in and contribute. However, you can count on Vegas being a bigger threat with a complete squad.

Home/Analysis