This season has been... odd for the Vegas Golden Knights. They're trending towards having the most overtime losses in NHL history, closing in on that vaunted number 18. They've also seen the injury bug take away players such as Brayden McNabb and William Karlsson, leaving them shorthanded.
In turn, it's led them to battle for first place in the Pacific Division. Forget about trying for the NHL's best record, for that honor belongs to the Colorado Avalanche. Despite the topsy-turvy year, the Golden Knights are in the playoff discussion.
Players like Mitch Marner are thankful for this since, well, his old club isn't doing too hot. Sitting far from a playoff spot, the Toronto Maple Leafs are struggling to put together a winning season after one of their "Core Four" members left town. Gee, it's like they needed him to succeed.
But let's focus on the Golden Knights for a second. It's time to look at each positional group and see who's pulling their weight. We know that the special teams has done great, so they get an A-. But what about the others?
Forwards
Offensively, the top six have been great for the Golden Knights. Big names like Jack Eichel (19 goals and 45 assists, all stats entering Tuesday), Mitch Marner (15 goals and 41 assists), and Mark Stone (20 goals and 35 assists) have carried the scoring load for Vegas. Add in Tomas Hertl (22 goals and 26 assists) and Pavel Dorofeyev (24 goals and 17 assists) and you have a strong unit.
While the scoring could be much better on the bottom six, the Golden Knights have seen flashes of production from players like Brett Howden and Reilly Smith. Even Keegan Kolesar has turned it up in recent weeks, giving Vegas more offensive bite.
Therefore, the forwards get a good grade here. They've done solid without certain pieces and have stepped up in the scoring department.
Defense
Offensively, the group has also done great for itself. Rasmus Andersson has shown signs of brilliance in his short stint and Shea Theodore has drastically improved on both ends. Even Ben Hutton has won a game or two for the Golden Knights.
There is some room for improvement, though. Vegas can do better at covering its gaps and taking away space in the defensive zone. That will make life easier for the goaltending, which has struggled immensely this season. Once McNabb returns with some lower-line players, things should get better.
Again, the keyword is should. At least fans won't have to see Jaycob Megna stand around vacantly.
Goalies
Ooooh buddy. Where do we start with this?
This has been a problematic group since Opening Knight. Adin Hill has been inconsistent and hurt. Carter Hart has been inconsistent and hurt. Carl Lindbom hasn't been hurt. However, he's shown that he needs a little more seasoning at the AHL level.
That leaves us with Akira Schmid, who's shown signs of brilliance at times. After all, he has two shutouts this season. However, it says a lot when an average goaltender has been your best this season.
Overall grade
The Vegas Golden Knights are fortunate to be hanging around the top of the Pacific Division. Considering there hasn't been a dominant team in the division this season, Vegas has gotten life from its division mates.
Even with the boatload of injuries and underachieving players, the Golden Knights can hang their hats on surviving and racking up points. Yes, the overtime losses have gotten long in the tooth. Still, you could be in a worse position as a team.
Nevertheless, if the Golden Knights don't make drastic improvements in certain areas (i.e., reducing space and goaltending), they're not getting out of the first round. There could even be a debate about whether they'd miss the postseason for the second time in franchise history.