Will Patrik Laine or Martin Necas help the Vegas Golden Knights more?
The Vegas Golden Knights need some surefire offensive power. Who's the answer between Patrik Laine and Martin Necas?
When you lose an incredible player to free agency, you need someone to fill the void. Unless the purpose is to fill that role with a younger player or established veteran, getting an outside player will help maintain the status quo. The Vegas Golden Knights are dealing with that situation, losing a special "Golden Misfit" to the state of Tennessee.
So what's a team like the Golden Knights to do in this scenario? Promote a player like Pavel Dorofeyev to the top six and reward him for his hard work? Perhaps giving a younger player like Brendan Brisson a try will do the trick? Those ideas sound tempting on the surface.
However, there might be another avenue the Golden Knights might explore. Yes, there's a route that they can take to get a superstar on their team: Trading for that superstar. Vegas has some options to go with here, instantly making them better.
The most obvious is Mitch Marner, who's been linked to Vegas by countless reputable sources. There are also lesser names such as Nick Robertson who've been connected to the Golden Knights, injecting youth into the lineup. However, two other names lost in the rumor mill could help the team.
First, there's Patrik Laine, the Columbus Blue Jackets winger returning from the player assistance program. He can score 40+ goals in a season, making him a high-reward pickup that might be worth the risk. Vegas could use a good sniper to replace Marchessault and Laine might be the answer.
But there's also Martin Necas, the Carolina Hurricanes center who scored 24 goals and 29 assists in 77 games last season. He's another good option who could also be a safer bet. But who's the more viable option for Vegas to acquire?
The case for Patrik Laine
The big plus for Patrik Laine is his age, sitting pretty at 26 years old. He also scored 80 goals in his first two seasons, bringing life to the Winnipeg Jets offense. Although his tenure with the Columbus Blue Jackets has been less than successful, he can still bring quality offense to a team.
For one, Laine is an excellent sniper, capable of firing off a blistering shot. He'll bolster the Vegas Golden Knights on the wing, bringing even more size to their lineup. Standing at 6'5" has numerous perks, yet the Blue Jackets winger uses it in more ways than one.
For example, he can squeeze through tight spaces and work gaps easier. That makes him a nightmare matchup for any defender, for he can push them aside with his body. If Laine can stay healthy for most or the entire 82-game season, he'll be a worthy pickup for a Golden Knights team looking for winger depth.
The case for Martin Necas
On the other hand, Martin Necas hasn't missed much time with the Carolina Hurricanes. He played 237 games in the last three seasons, establishing himself as one of the more consistent pieces for the franchise.
Although he's not as proficient of a shooter as Patrik Laine is, he makes up for that with fantastic playmaking and skating ability. He's settling himself on the wing, becoming more comfortable with taking shots. That comfort level will build his confidence as a player, turning him into a more potent goal-scorer.
On top of that, the Czech forward is a year younger than his Blue Jackets counterpart, injecting more youth into the Golden Knights lineup. Adding Alexander Holtz gives Vegas a promising winger to work with. Pairing him with Necas can provide the duo that the team needs in the future.
Who's a better option for the Vegas Golden Knights?
It depends on how much of a risk Kelly McCrimmon is willing to take. Patrik Laine can potentially score 40 goals in a season, making him a solid replacement for a Vegas Golden Knights team looking for wingers. However, he must stay healthy and play a full 82 game season (or close to it) to stay viable.
Martin Necas would be a safer bet considering he's younger and can stay healthy for a full season. He won't fire off hard shots the same way Laine does, nor does have the desirable size. However, he's developing into a strong scoring piece, capitalizing on solid scoring opportunities from any spot.
McCrimmon is taking a chance on Alexander Holtz, who was mismanaged by a rebuilding New Jersey Devils front office. Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising to see him take a flyer on Laine, who's looking to create a redemption story. The hope would be that the Finnish winger will return to his rookie form, replacing (or even extending) Jonathan Marchessault's production.
That's especially true with Necas getting closer to re-signing with the Hurricanes. Still, there's such a thing as "never say never," with nothing being surefire. That was the case with the Golden Knights in their first season, where nobody expected the team to make the Stanley Cup Final. The safer bet could be a better play if things suddenly fall apart.
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