Jeremy Lauzon was a lightning rod for controversy last season. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman was notorious for drawing penalties, even breaking the single-season record for the most penalty minutes (89). Man, not even Ryan Reaves could pull that off!
Alas, he's back with the Golden Knights on a six-year, $24 million deal. The former Nashville Predator brings his scrappy style and penchant for beating people up back to Las Vegas. But there's a good reason for that.
Keegan Kolesar was traded to the Detroit Red Wings during the summer. No longer did you have to administer too many hits on the ice, for that was Lauzon's job. Of course, it helps to have Marc Gatcomb and Parker Wotherspoon to do this, too. After all, you need depth and bruisers to clean up the mess.
Now that Lauzon is locked in for the forseeable future, let's see what's in store for the fighting defenseman. What can he do for the Golden Knights, aside from hit people (a lot)? What can he stand to work on for the future? Let's get our boxing gloves on and see what Lauzon brings to the table.
Taking a deeper look at Jeremy Lauzon's future with the Vegas Golden Knights
Obviously, you want Lauzon to cut down on the penalties. There were times when he would get called for an unnecessary interference call or something similar. Let's start with cleaning up the hitting so that he doesn't put his own team on their heels.
Remember, the Golden Knights don't have players like Colton Sissons around on the penalty kill anymore. That will make life harder on the unit, especially if you can't get a good faceoff to dump the puck down the ice. Cleaning up his act will go a long way in ensuring his Vegas residency is solid.
Ironically, that's the least of his worries. Last season, he had -0.1 offensive point shares with the Golden Knights. In fact, his career-high here was 0.1 in 2023-24, when he scored six goals with the Nashville Predators. Contributing more offensively will help the Golden Knights on the blue line, especially on the attack.
Of course, it's tougher to do when you're a defensive-minded defenseman. Lauzon had 2.7 defensive point shares with the Golden Knights, which was a career-high. Obviously, he can hit people (251 hits last season). But he also blocks shots (97 last season), making him valuable as a defender.
If Lauzon can stick to his defensive strengths and add some offense, he can make his Golden Knights residency worthwhile. He can also turn the public opinion on his play around, making him likable. Imagine what he can do if he administers clean hits and pain all day!
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