The Vegas Golden Knights have been entangled in the Dylan Larkin sweepstakes for quite some time. It's like they're in, then they're out, then they're in, then they're out. You can say that it's been a roller coaster ride of sorts for the Golden Knights.
Well, we have a definitive end to the Dylan Larkin mularkey, my friends. Darren Dreger went on Hockey Sense on Friday to discuss the matter, where he talked about the Golden Knights being involved in the Larkin sweepstakes.
"A Detroit source told me...Vegas wasn't involved to this point."Darren Dreger on Hockey Sense
Well, there you have it. The Larkin drama is phasing Vegas out of the picture, even if they're still on his preferred destination list. Said list expands and the Golden Knights appear focused on other things at this point.
Wait, other things?
That's right, my friend. General manager Kelly McCrimmon has other pressing issues to worry about. Mind you, Larkin would be a nice addition to the team. However, the Golden Knights have problematic areas that must be addressed quickly. Otherwise, they're looking at another first-round exit in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Vegas Golden Knights have other priorities aside from getting a quality center like Dylan Larkin
Now, the question remains over Larkin's next destination. Where will he go? Will he find a new home or risk losing his paycheck? That's a question that will be answered by teams not named the Vegas Golden Knights.
In the meantime, the Golden Knights have other priorities to worry about. First, they're deep down the middle and don't necessarily need another center. Second, the salary cap logistics would be mind-boggling to even pull off. Imagine trying to work a deal and you can't trade Adin Hill. That was certainly the case with the Connor Hellebuyck sweepstakes.
Finally, let's be honest for a second. The back-end defense and the puck control haven't been up to snuff in recent weeks. The Golden Knights have the fourth-most team turnovers in the NHL (265) entering Monday's game against the Boston Bruins. That includes costly defensive zone turnovers that lead to goals, putting goaltenders like Carter Hart and Adin Hill in compromised positions.
Sure, you can pin the blame on the goaltenders since they tend to let in soft goals. But the Golden Knights need to take care of the puck better. Moreover, they must have more shutdown defensemen that can take the burden off the netminders.
Who could be the perfect fit for the Golden Knights?
Perhaps a Golden Knights reunion with Zach Whitecloud would work? Call me crazy, but the price is fairly reasonable ($2.75 million cap hit) and he provided that shutdown defense before he was traded for Rasmus Andersson. Perhaps an ineffective Parker Wotherspoon and Nic Dowd will get the job done?
Personally, I don't think a reunion will happen, despite Whitecloud being beloved in Las Vegas. Still, crazier things have happened. But what about Nick Perbix of the Nashville Predators? He's a bigger body that can handle the puck without any problems.
Regardless, the Golden Knights have bigger fish to fry than another big-time center. You can say the same thing about acquiring Nikita Kucherov, although having a big-time goal-scorer would be nice. If Vegas doesn't fix their back-end and turnover problems? Well, let's just say that things will head south quickly.
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