Alex Pietrangelo receding? Is it really happening? Not so fast.
Alex Pietrangelo is in the twilight of his NHL career. However, Friday's performance indicated he might have one more good year in him.
Alex Pietrangelo had an incredible game for the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday. He scored a power play goal and added an assist on a Jack Eichel goal against the Utah Hockey Club. All this came in the second period, which helped the Golden Knights defeat the NHL's newest team. It was an inspiring performance that calmed the whispers of the defenseman slowly being withered away by Father Time. Surely, this will be another season where this happens, right?
Luckily, Pietrangelo sent Arnold to deliver the message.
The tenured superstar might've had a down year in 2023-24, scoring four goals and 29 assists. That's a far cry from 11 goals and 43 assists the season prior. The three-time All-Star also saw a drop in his defensive stats from 2022-23, indicating his production was tailing off.
Season | Number of hits | Number of blocked shots | Number of takeaways |
---|---|---|---|
2022-23 | 65 | 177 | 56 |
2023-24 | 46 | 160 | 50 |
However, let me play devil's advocate as to why that won't be the case. There's an exciting new opportunity for the defenseman this upcoming season, as he's projected to get a fellow offensive-minded blue-liner alongside him. It could reawaken his potential and make him more valuable to the Golden Knights than ever.
How will Pietrangelo benefit from having this change happen? What's the other factor that could help him discover a renaissance in his game? The two-time Stanley Cup winner will be crucial to the team's success in 2024-25, given there are missing faces from the year prior. Don't sleep on the blue-liner for the upcoming year, especially for these two reasons.
The duo of Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo
Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo are currently projected to constitute the top defensive pairing for the Vegas Golden Knights. Last night, they were shaky together, leading to the Utah Hockey Club scoring a goal.
The two will need more time together to figure out who will kill plays behind the net while the other defends the oncoming attack. That much is given. Luckily, the preseason is a good opportunity for the two veterans to figure out their roles. If they play together, it offers the Vegas Golden Knights the chance to enhance their team offensively. How, you might ask?
For one, they're projected to anchor the second power play unit, which would feature names like Alexander Holtz and William Karlsson. That could provide ample scoring chances for the duo to deliver, with both veterans having the necessary experience to run the power play and even strength attack. These could come from the point or down the middle.
Whatever the case, the Golden Knights could see an uptick with Pietrangelo having a solid veteran opposite of him on the first pair. Two puck-moving blue-liners on the same pair could work dividends for his campaign, with smoother passes and set-ups coming. That's what Bruce Cassidy hopes will happen, especially if they want to win another Stanley Cup.
He should get plenty of time with Jack Eichel
Having Jack Eichel on your team makes everyone instantly better. It's how Jonathan Marchessault scored 42 goals last season, for he shared the same top line with the former second-overall pick. But that also includes playing with Alex Pietrangelo, as proven by Friday's 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club.
Last season, the two superstars played together for 275:31 TOI, scoring 16 goals and allowing 12 (57.14 GF%, according to Natural Stat Trick). That exceeded the expected number of 12.01 xGF and 10.55 xGA (53.23 xGF%). Compare that to when Eichel wasn't on the ice and left Pietrangelo alone, where the team scored 39 goals and allowed 49 (44.32 GF%). It's clear Pietrangelo benefits from having a star center like Eichel on the team, whether on even strength or the power play.
Therefore, Bruce Cassidy will look into putting the two on the ice more. They complement one another, feeding off their strengths while creating more scoring opportunities. That will be good news for a Vegas Golden Knights team looking to fill some holes offensively. An uptick in favorable matchups will help the team navigate the 2024-25 season, surprising some people. Friday's game could be an example of things to come for the defender.
Pietrangelo isn't expected to keep up his high level of play forever. He'll regress further at some point to where he's become a liability. However, the two-time Stanley Cup winner could surprise some people writing him off. He could see a rebound this year, where he's back to becoming the go-to producer for the Golden Knights