Vegas Golden Knights: Ranking their captain candidates
The Vegas Golden Knights are one of the six teams in the NHL without a captain. In their second season in the NHL, they need to make a decision on who will be captain.
Since their inaugural season in the 2017-18 season, the Vegas Golden Knights have had a tremendous amount of success (Western Conference Champs in 2017-18 and playoff bound in the 2018-19 season) thanks to conjoined leadership. However, the structure of having multiple alternate captains and locker room leaders must simmer and a true captain has to emerge.
From goal scorers in their prime to grizzled veterans, the Golden Knights have no shortage of qualified leaders to guide the team. During the 2017-18 season, it was understandable that the Golden Knights did not name a captain. The team was trying to find their identity and head coach Gerard Gallant was trying to see who the true leaders were.
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On the same note, in their second season, players are getting extensions (which shows who is going to be in Vegas for the long haul) and Gallant has a chance to see who has been a consistent leader.
With the acquisition of Max Pacioretty (former captain for the Montreal Canadians) and Mark Stone (both who have been extended to long-term deals), the Golden Knights are getting franchise players and leaders.
However, with these acquisitions, the Golden Knights must not overlook veteran players that helped the team reach the Stanley Cup last season, players like Deryk Engelland, Nate Schmidt, and Jonathan Marchessault.
They have a tough decision to make as to who will be captain. However, it is a good problem to have. The team once identified as a “bunch of misfits” seem to have found a home and identity in Vegas. Although fans anticipate that the team will name a captain, the Golden Knights do not have to and continue into next season with only assistant captains.
As described earlier, the Golden Knights have many qualified individuals to serve as captain, but here are the top four that should be the highly considered players to hold the captain vacancy.
Deryk Engelland
Deryk Engelland holds a close grip to the city of Las Vegas, as he has lived there for many years (long before the Golden Knights), met his wife in Vegas when he played in the minors, his sons were born there, and he gave one of the most impactful speeches after the tragic shooting in Vegas in 2017.
When Engelland joined the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft in 2017, he was 35-years-old and his career seemed to be winding down. Currently, at 36 years of age, his career seems to be rejuvenated, as he is coming off of his career high in points (23) last season and he’s having a decent 2018-19 season with 10 points.
Before coming to Vegas, Engelland was a long-time tough guy for the Calgary Flames and Pittsburgh Penguins. With the Golden Knights, Engelland’s role seems to have changed as he is more of a reliable bottom three defenseman that can create scoring chances and kill penalties.
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In 616 NHL games played, he has scored 29 goals, racked up 90 assists and clocked 536 penalty minutes. As for the 2018-19 season, Engelland has scored two goals and registered eights assists in 68 games played.
Out of all the players on the Golden Knights, Engelland is the most qualified and deserving player to be named the team captain. The 6’2” and 214-pound defenseman knows what it takes to win and be a part of a winning culture, as shown through his five years with the Penguins and his 2017-18 season with the Knights.
The only thing that would hold management back from naming Engelland captain is the fact that he is 36 and is on the last year of his current contract. It is very likely he will only continue playing in the NHL if he is offered a contract extension from Vegas. With the amount of success Engelland has had in the past two seasons, it is only fair of management offers his a one or two year deal.
With the new deal, one of the incentives should be that Engelland will serve as captain. As the oldest member of the Golden Knights and a long-time resident of Vegas, Engelland provides everything Vegas is seeking for in their captain search.
Jonathan Marchessault
Since being taken by the Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, Jonathan Marchessault has been nothing short of an absolute superstar not just in Vegas, but throughout the rest of the NHL. After coming off of a 75 point 2017-18 regular season campaign, he has posted an impressive 54 points in 75 games played in the 2018-19 season.
Before coming to Vegas, Marchessault was heading down a journeyman path as had played for three teams (Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers) in five seasons in the NHL (2012-2017). When he was taken from Tampa by Vegas in the expansion draft, the then 27-year-old was coming off of a career-high 51 point season and showed signs of linear growth.
Ever since becoming a Golden Knight, Marchessault seems nearly unstoppable as he is contributing offensively night in and night out. At 5’9” and 174 pounds, he is one of the smallest players in the NHL, but his work ethic and fearlessness make him a great player and role model.
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It is the way that Marchessault conducts himself that would make him a great captain for the Vegas Golden Knights. When he plays, he gets the best out of his linemates and it is likely that he can translate that in the locker room when trying to ignite a spark for his team.
After signing a six-year, $30 million extension with Vegas on January 3, 2017, Marchessault is going to be a Golden Knight for a long time. Due to the fact that he is a crucial member of the team and is going to be with them for the long haul, he makes a strong case to being named the captain of the Golden Knights.
Nate Schmidt
There is no doubt that Nate Schmidt is one of the most beloved players inside and outside of the locker room. From making pizza with Chef Wolfgang Puck to putting up 36 points in the 2017-18 season, there seems like there is nothing he cannot do.
After four seasons with the Washington Capitals, Schmidt came to Vegas via the expansion draft in the summer of 2017. Since joining the Golden Knights, he has been Vegas’ primary defenseman and has exceeded many people’s expectations.
In 331 NHL games, Schmidt has scored 22 goals and has tallied 87 assists. As for the 2018-19 season, he has nine goals and 21 assists in only 55 games played.
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The 27-year-old defenseman sat out the first 20 games of the current season due to a failed drug test where they found minuscule traces of performance enhancement substances in his body. Instead of sitting out 20 games and feeling bad for himself, Schmidt flew to Vienna to play for a professional team there to keep in shape.
During his suspension, he received a six year, $35.7 million contract extension that will make him a UFA at the end of the 2024-25 season. This signing spoke volumes because it shows that Vegas instills trust in Schmidt regardless that he was suspended for performance enhancing substances.
By signing him long term, Vegas showed that they believe he is not only a crucial player to have on the ice, but off the ice as well. Schmidt is going into his prime and is developing himself as an elite NHL defenseman, which would make him a great mentor to the rest of the team. All of which are reasons to consider him to fill the captain vacancy.
Max Pacioretty
The long time Montreal Canadians captain could be named captain once again, but this time for the Vegas Golden Knights. When Pacioretty was traded from Montreal to Vegas in exchange for Tomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and a second round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, all eyes were magnified to see how he would perform in a different environment.
So far as a Golden Knight, he has done fairly well as he has 22 goals and 17 assists in 61 games played. The 30-year-old signed on to be a Golden Knight for another four years at $28 million. Hopefully, he can keep producing at the rate he is currently at and has in the past with Montreal.
Pacioretty is the only player to be a captain for another NHL franchise (the Canadians from 2015-2018) on the Golden Knights. With this past leadership experience, he could serve as a vital leader and captain for Vegas moving forward.
The only thing holding Pacioretty back from being a front-runner for the team captain was the lack of team success in Montreal and the amount of stress he had to endure with media and fans, which would make him hesitant to take on the role again.
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If Pacioretty is for sure not willing to be the captain then Vegas could look toward their other big acquisition in Mark Stone. However, he has the experience and leadership qualities that Vegas is looking for in their quest for a captain.