The Vegas Golden Knights were building up momentum in Thursday's game against the New York Islanders. They were peppering Ilya Sorokin with shots left and right, trying to find that next goal. Everything was going good until... Jeremy Lauzon was called for tripping.
The defenseman was sent to the penalty box for tripping Simon Holmstrom. Granted, Holmstrom was drawing penalties throughout the game, making him a successful momentum-halter. However, the problem was still with the former Predators defenseman. He just halted any momentum that Vegas had for getting back into the game.
Sure, he'd get an assist on the game-tying goal where there was also a delayed penalty. However, the problem runs deeper with the embattled defenseman. For example, he has 28 penalty minutes this season and is on pace for 144. That's nearly double the franchise record set by Ryan Reaves in 2018-19 (74)!
Mind you, Reaves was a rough-and-tumble guy himself. However, he wasn't a reckless player who committed penalties with his play. Instead, he stuck up for his teammates and played the role of guard dog perfectly. You can't say the same thing for Lauzon, who's cost the Golden Knights any bit of momentum during games.
Therefore, it's time to have a serious discussion about his current role. Yes, current. We're not talking about waiting until the end of the season for Lauzon. We're talking about his long-term viability for the season and whether he deserves to stick around.
Why the Vegas Golden Knights must make a drastic move with Jeremy Lauzon going forward
Now, make of this upcoming statistic what you will. But the Golden Knights have had the third-fewest penalty minutes in the NHL since the start of the 2017-18 season (4,505). Granted, you have the Utah Mammoth (technically an expansion team) and the Seattle Kraken ahead of you. However, the Golden Knights have played a clean brand of hockey that has transcended coaching.
Let's be honest. Lauzon hasn't done a great job of fitting that brand of hockey. Being on pace to double the franchise record for single-season penalty minutes is an alarming trend. It costs your team momentum and offensive zone time, which has been the case for the Golden Knights this season.
With that, why not give Ben Hutton a try? The 32-year-old isn't going to put up numbers for the Golden Knights any time soon. However, he's been a steady force in his seventh-defenseman role. Hutton can block shots and add to the offensive attack while avoiding the penalty box. In fact, his career-high in penalty minutes is... 43 in 2018-19 with the Vancouver Canucks.
That's a massive improvement over being on pace for 144 minutes. Vegas could also look at other options like Jaycob Megna, who adds size and intelligent grit to his game. He's also not keen on being in the penalty box, making him a decent lower-pair option.
Whatever the case, the Golden Knights must admit that the Jeremy Lauzon experience has failed so far. It's resulted in halted momentum and a worn-out group, leaving points on the board. Yes, other problematic areas must be addressed. But this is something that Bruce Cassidy won't stand for, especially with the team currently out of the playoff picture.