The Vegas Golden Knights received some pleasant news today. Injured players like Nicolas Hague and Victor Olofsson (lower-body injuries) are skating, moving closer to returning to the team. Finally, peace has been restored and all wars are ending. Life is good. But then...
GM Kelly McCrimmon tells the @VGKInsiderShow and @darenmillard that defenseman Ben Hutton is going to be out a while, he will not travel on the team’s upcoming road trip #VegasBorn
— Chris Chapman 🏳️🌈クリス (@Magnum702) November 19, 2024
Ben Hutton exited Sunday's game in the first period against the Washington Capitals with an upper-body injury. What's worse, he's expected to be out for a while, according to general manager Kelly McCrimmon. McCrimmon was on the VGK Insider Show with Daren Millard and Ryan Wallis on Monday, stating the defenseman wouldn't be with the team for the upcoming road trip.
The loss is a massive blow for a Golden Knights team closer to being healthy. They were closing in on Hague returning, adding more size to their blue line. But the team will deal with less defenseman depth for the upcoming trip, leaving them shorthanded.
Sometimes, life can be unfair. First, you're getting a big blue liner who checks (503 career hits) and blocks shots (427 career blocked shots) back in your lineup soon. You feel good hearing one of your seven main blue liners go down. It's like paying off your credit card debt, only to accumulate it again because your car broke down in Baker, California.
What losing Ben Hutton means for the Vegas Golden Knights
Ben Hutton is a reliable seventh defenseman for the Vegas Golden Knights. He's great at being a traditional defender, gravitating towards the puck at every turn. The 31-year-old brings speed to the blue line and can move the puck easily. Having a mobile depth piece is crucial for Bruce Cassidy when times get tough.
The Golden Knights always appreciate him jumping into the offensive attack. Here, he can jump on odd-man rushes and set up plays, specifically with fast pieces like Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev. Without that, they'll lose that part of the transition game.
Losing Hutton will complicate matters defensively. The Golden Knights are more vulnerable in transition without the former fifth-round pick's speed. In turn, it leaves teams like Utah and Carolina ready to pounce on turnovers.
Of course, this could only be for a couple games. Once Hague (and Stone) return, they'll improve on the defensive front, getting more size back. However, they'll still have problems with speed, which could complicate matters. Still, having more size should wear opponents during the game, with more comebacks like Friday against Utah happening.
It hurts losing a depth piece when you're already down key players. These losses range from the offensive stars (Victor Olofsson) to the defensive (Nicolas Hague). Luckily, these injuries shouldn't last long, cushioning the blow of losing Hutton. Thank goodness they kept those "Misfits" for the long term, eh?