Vegas Golden Knights: Deryk Engelland should be named captain

The Vegas Golden Knights recently re-signed Deryk Engelland. He should be the team’s first captain.

Deryk Engelland has never been the best player for the Vegas Golden Knights, but he’s been something much more important. Ever since the franchise’s inception, the Vegas resident has been the perfect ambassador for hockey. It might be time for the Golden Knights to crown their first captain in team history and that player should be none other than Engelland himself.

He is something of an NHL journeyman but broke into professional hockey in Las Vegas back when the city was a minor-league town. Engelland has since married and started a family in Vegas, much to their delight when he was chosen in the expansion draft. It was only fitting that as newly minted Vegas Golden Knight players began to make Vegas their home, Engelland took on the duties as a tour guide and welcoming committee.

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Yesterday, Engelland and the Golden Knights both put pen to paper for their third consecutive one year deal. Even though he’s become a pillar in the budding professional sports city, he has never had long-term career security with the Golden Knights.

The latest one-year pact pays Engelland the league minimum of $700,000, but the deal includes performance bonuses and incentives that could up the salary $1.5 million. That’s a decent decline in value for the 37-year-old, who made $2 million in salary plus bonuses last season and $2.5 million in salary and bonuses in 2017-2018.

Still, Vegas has rewarded him by keeping the hometown kid around. With his future as a professional hockey player in Vegas not guaranteed passed next season, it might be time for Vegas to break their three-year captain less streak and give Engelland the jersey with a “C” on it. After all, he’s pretty much performed all the duties of a captain in an unofficial capacity.

Even before the first time the Golden Knights hit the ice, Engelland has been a face for the franchise. It was Engelland who addressed the Golden Knights first-ever home crowd in the face of a terrible community tragedy.

It was Engelland, who before making an impact in a pregame ceremony, made an impact in the community by meeting with first responders in the day leading up to the emotional inaugural game. He was someone who thought first season success for the Golden Knights could be an obtainable reality and not some wild pipe dream.

Engelland showed the world that when he not only accepted the Clarence Campbell Bowl for his Western Conference Championship team but hoisted it in the air in celebration.

Even though players like Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers continue to fit the mold of the captain being the team’s most productive player, that notion has largely been passed on.

While some Golden Knights fans are pulling for the likes of newly acquired Matt Stone to be the team’s first captain, Engelland’s longevity and tenure make him the better choice. With only one year possibly left, the time should be now.

As Engelland’s career winds down, his tenure in Vegas will most likely be his highlight. Serving as captain for his hometown franchise would be the perfect swan song to his playing days. If can end it with a Stanley cup parade down the Las Vegas Strip, it’ll be even better.