The Three Things That Must Change for the Golden Knights After the All-Star Break

1. Becoming the Gold Standard in Health

Of course, you know about Jack Eichel and William Karlsson being out for some time due to injuries. After all, they're the most prominent names on injured reserve. But more names on the list will surprise some Golden Knight fans, including Shea Theodore and William Carrier.

But let's focus on Theodore for a second. In his career, he's become more than one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He's a power play merchant (14 career power play goals, 71 career power play assists) and has shown himself to be solid in transition.

In fact, Theodore's absence has had a profound impact in the past. Just look at last season, with Vegas going 38-13-4 (points percentage of .727) with him. Without the defenseman? 13-9-5, with a points percentage of .574.

The worst part of sports is the injury aspect. You can lose your best player at the snap of a finger and it changes the trajectory of your season. Plus, you can't predict when they'll come, making life more stressful. Fortunately, the defending champions are getting scoring from key players at the right time. When the top guys return (like Adin Hill), it'll make life much easier.

2. Getting More from Zach Whitecloud

Zach Whitecloud has the potential to become a Golden Knights mainstay. He has the character, poise, and leadership to establish himself in Sin City hockey for a long time. However, he's not having the best of seasons on the third defensive unit.

He has nine takeaways this season, with seven of those coming on the defensive end. Compare that to 24 takeaways last season, which was a career-high. You're not going to expect Whitecloud to be an offensive factor like Quinn Hughes is now. But you'd want him to have more of a presence on the forecheck.

The defenseman also hasn't done much with creating rebounds, only making four this season. Granted, he's dealt with upper-body injuries a couple of times this season. But it's safe to say the Brandon native has become an anonymous figure in Vegas with his down season.

Still, injuries have taken numerous Knights out of commission, with Whitecloud being no exception. After all, he's only played 33 games this season. But the defenseman can become a household name again if he heals up and gets back to being a physical force.

3. Stop Giving Up So Many Shots

With Adin Hill returning, this won't be as big of a deal as initially thought. However, allowing 1,506 shots this season (ninth-most in the NHL) is an eyebrow-raising statistic. When you're up there with the likes of the San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens, and Chicago Blackhawks, that can be a problem.

Take Monday's game against the New Jersey Devils as a perfect example. Logan Thompson was overwhelmed with 38 shots on goal that game, allowing six goals in the process. It was an ugly game that Bruce Cassidy described as "beer league hockey."

While the Golden Knights are still good in other defensive metrics, such as takeaways, blocked shots, and hits, they've somehow let shots pour through. Consistency is vital down the road for Vegas. If the Knights continue to allow shots at this clip, it could wear down their goaltending quicker.