It's no secret that this season has been one of the worst in Vegas Golden Knights history. They're trending towards having one of the lowest point totals in an 82-game setting, with numerous question marks surrounding key positions.
If you know how the league operates, it's that the 31 other teams don't like the Golden Knights. Often, they look at Vegas with such disdain and bitterness that they wish the team would simply... lose. Well, it seems that those teams are getting their wish as they watch the evil empire falter with every bit of schadenfreude.
So, let's look at the upcoming offseason while the temperatures rise to melt our faces. Kelly McCrimmon will have a checklist full of needs that he'd love to address. Of course, netminder will be one position that comes up during the summer months.
But what else will come to mind for McCrimmon and company? Let's see the three objectives that must be tackled for the Golden Knights to come back stronger next season. After all, every league needs an evil empire that everyone must hate.
1.) Extend big names
You know the names by now. Pavel Dorofeyev and Rasmus Andersson are due to be free agents by season's end and they're due massive deals. While Dorofeyev is of the restricted variety, that doesn't mean that his deal isn't of some urgency.
The 25-year-old has 34 goals, with 18 coming on the power play (franchise record). His emergence has been part of a rise in the league's fifth-best power play entering Thursday (24.9%). If you're going to keep the unit around, you best bring him aboard.
While the returns haven't been as good for Andersson, you can't pass up a good puck-moving defenseman. That's especially true since you paid a hefty price to get him. Will McCrimmon make the salary cap gymnastics work in his favor? Stay tuned.
2.) More stay-at-home guys
The good thing about this is that stay-at-home players are relatively cheaper than the sexier names. They can do the grind work and make life easier for the netminders up front, ranging from physical play to taking away space.
In fact, this has been the hallmark of Golden Knights hockey since the team's inception. So why not return to those roots and get some grit-and-grind guys to put in front of Adin Hill and company? It'll keep the Golden Knights from entering barnburners and having to outscore their opponents.
3.) Depth scoring
A majority of the team's players are leaving in unrestricted free agency next season, leaving a massive void in the Golden Knights lineup. That includes Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith, which would leave Vegas without key goalscorers to fill out the lower lines.
While part of the Golden Knights' scoring drought has been attributed to the top guys not doing much, Vegas can't overlook the bottom parts of the lineup. There isn't much talent in Henderson to fill the lineup out, meaning that McCrimmon will have to look at free agency for some veteran names.