As I was preparing an article about Jeremy Lauzon joining the Vegas Golden Knights, I noticed my cat communicating with me. She kept meowing like she wanted something. What could a 16-year-old calico baby want from me?
Perhaps she was looking for Golden Knights tickets for the upcoming season. Maybe she wanted treats despite being a little heavy. It turns out she wanted to hide. Poor little furball.
One person who isn't feeling bad is Lauzon. He's leaving a team that missed the Stanley Cup playoffs last season for a reinvented Golden Knights squad with Mitch Marner.
It might sound nice playing with a two-time Maurice Richard winner in Steven Stamkos and Vegas's revered Conn Smythe Misfit, Jonathan Marchessault. However, going honky tonk ain't for everyone. Maybe Nicolas Hague will grab some cowboy boots and go square dancing with Marchessault. Who knows?
Let's look at one of the pieces in the Hague trade. The newest defenseman looks to bolster the lower units and add much-needed grit. Who will he pair well with in the lineup? What can he do for Vegas as the 2025-26 season looms?
Looking at the newest Vegas Golden Knights star Jeremy Lauzon
One thing you'll notice about Lauzon as a player is that he hits people. A lot. In fact, he led the league in hits in 2023-24 with 386. Overall, he has 1,132 career hits in seven seasons, adding more toughness and grit to the Golden Knights.
That's what makes him perfect with a player like Keegan Kolesar. Both players can wear down the competition throughout the game, putting together strong forechecks and shifts. Imagine the damage they can do against quicker teams like the Edmonton Oilers or the Minnesota Wild during the season.
While all of this sounds good, there's a catch. You see, Lauzon... doesn't score much. We're talking about Beavis and Butthead levels of scoring here. Imagine if Lauzon were in the Mojave Desert and scoring was water. That's what it's like for the defenseman.
He has only 14 career goals and 31 career assists, making him an offensive nuisance. That gives us a major clue about his pairing projection as a defenseman...
Expect Lauzon to be a third-pair defenseman
Now, this isn't a bad thing! The former Nashville Predators blue liner provides a gritty style that's underappreciated in the modern NHL landscape. More people look for finesse players to score goals and do fancy dekes these days.
However, that's a good role for the newest Golden Knight as Vegas shifts to a smaller, yet tougher style of play. Adding another competitor to a hungry roster only makes the team better. Throw in some solid skating and the Golden Knights look much better overall.
It also gives him an ample opportunity to act as a mentor to a youngster like Kaedan Korczak. The emerging defenseman has sizable expectations on him entering his first full season with Vegas. He's supposed to be Hague's replacement, giving the team better two-way play.
With Lauzon around, the former Predators hitter can show Korczak how to possess a tougher side to his game. Most of all, the duo can give the Golden Knights a defensive edge that most people aren't expecting. Now that would be honky tonk stuff right there.