You know what season it is. It's time to look at what the Vegas Golden Knights did during the trade deadline. Yes, you probably know that Kelly McCrimmon is one to swing a ton of moves during this period. After all, the never-ending pursuit of making your team better starts with acquiring pieces and throwing away picks.
Yes, that time applies here as well. The Golden Knights acquired Cole Smith from the Nashville Predators and also picked up Nic Dowd from the Washington Capitals. You might not know who these players are. The two players have a combined 10 goals and 16 assists, after all. Who's going to pay attention to that in today's modern NHL?
With that, there's a better reason for acquiring the two players. You want to improve on defense and be stronger in your own zone. That can be done in a few ways, whether that's winning faceoffs or making clean exits. Considering that the Golden Knights have struggled in defending the net, these are welcome additions.
So, let's look at the overall trade deadline and see how the Golden Knights did. Once again, McCrimmon was busy like the bee that he was, doing whatever it took to bolster his roster. But how does the roster look now?
How did the Vegas Golden Knights do after the trade deadline?
For the viewers at home wondering, yes, I will include Rasmus Andersson in this. That way, we can get a better view of where the team currently stands and where they could be heading. After all, it makes the grade much more wholesome and telling.
With that, the Swedish Olympian has gotten off to a slow start for the Golden Knights. Before Wednesday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, Andersson only had one goal and three assists. If the Golden Knights want to go far, they must get more from their big-name acquisition. Still...
You can't deny that McCrimmon was smart in approaching the goaltending situation. You're not fixing the problem with an overpriced netminder, so why not go a separate route? That could pay dividends for the Golden Knights come playoff time.
For Vegas Golden Knights fans wondering about whether the team would make another move, well, they already made one. They gave up draft picks, Abram Wiebe, and Zach Whitecloud for the aforementioned Andersson. At this point, the Golden Knights don't have much to really strive for, aside from some depth pieces.
That was the case for Kelly McCrimmon, who added defensive depth to the lineup. Smith and Dowd are defensive zone stalwarts, providing ample protection for any goaltender in front of them. Why trade for Jordan Binnington when you can bolster the group up front?
Sometimes, making the biggest move of the trade deadline isn't the best. It's no secret that Vegas was linked to star goaltenders like Binnington and Sergei Bobrovsky. But what difference will it make when your back end looks abysmal? There's your little food for thought for the day.