4 Big Questions for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21
There are Four Big Questions facing the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21.
The 2020-21 NHL Season is finally here with the big faceoff today and, as a result, we are nearly at the end of our Season Previews with the Vegas Golden Knights our focus.
It was another disappointing year for the Golden Knights who were eliminated in the Western Conference Finals by the Dallas Stars, making it a second straight year where they failed in their ultimate aim of winning the Stanley Cup.
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Now, it seems mad to say that about an expansion team but such are the high expectations that have been set in Sin City.
And, in response to a disappointing end to the 2019-20 season, General Manager Kelly McCrimmon went all out in the offseason and made an already talent-laden roster even better by signing elite defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to a seven-year, $61,600,000 contract.
Pietrangelo is the absolute horse on the blueline that this franchise has long craved, and there is a clear reason as to why the Golden Knights are favorites for the Stanley Cup along with the Colorado Avalanche.
They are loaded with talent and firepower and they have depth in every single area, making them a formidable juggernaut that could well go all the way this year.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the 4 Big Questions facing the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21…
4. Can Cody Glass have a breakout year?
Big things were expected of Cody Glass in his rookie year in 2019-20, but a concussion issue and a serious knee injury ultimately ruined things with the forward finishing with 12 points (5 G, 7 A) in 39 games with a plus / minus rating of -7.
It was a big disappointment for the No. 6 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, but there could be a shot at redemption in 2020-21.
Although it appears as though Chandler Stephenson has won the opportunity to center a line between Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, there is still a chance for Glass to carve out a big role on this team.
With veteran centers Paul Stastny, Cody Eakin and Nick Cousins gone, there is an opening for a center role and Glass could pivot the third-line while also getting time on the power play.
He is likely to start on the third-line but with a sniper on his wing in Alex Tuch, there is an opportunity there for Glass to show off his playmaking abilities and both score and create at a high level while earning the trust of Head Coach Pete DeBoer.
If Cody Glass can remain healthy, improve certain aspects of his play and drive secondary scoring from the third-line while taking any opportunity he gets on the power play, then he could be on pace for a true breakout year in 2020-21 and maybe a promotion to the second-line between Pacioretty and Stone.
3. How will Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury split the load?
One big storyline that dominated the 2019-20 Stanley Cup Playoffs was the goalie controversy that brewed between Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner.
We won’t cover old ground because it is incredibly well-covered, but General Manager Kelly McCrimmon went all out at the Trade Deadline to acquire elite goalie Robin Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks, giving the Golden Knights an elite tandem between the pipes.
However, Lehner seemed to become the No. 1 starter immediately, which upset Fleury and certainly upset his representatives which led to that now infamous Tweet from his agent Allan Walsh. You know the one, we don’t have to go over it again, okay it involved a sword. Through back. With blood on it. That’s all we’re saying.
It also sparked talks that Fleury could be on the trade block, especially as the Golden Knights went after Alex Pietrangelo in Free Agency, and it did seem as though an ugly divorce was coming between organization and their face of the franchise.
However, a shortened 56-game schedule meant that the need for an elite goalie tandem became even more important and, as such, Vegas committed to both Fleury and Lehner for the 2020-21 season.
So, how will it exactly work?
For starters, one of the biggest reasons the Golden Knights are one of the favorites for the Stanley Cup is because they will have two elite netminders at their disposal, which will be crucial in a condensed 56-game schedule.
Granted, Fleury did regress somewhat in 2019-20 with a 2.77 Goals Against Average and a .905 Save Percentage, but he also proved in the Playoffs that he’s still capable of playing at an incredibly high-level with a 2.27 GAA and a .910 SV%.
Lehner, on the other hand, dominated in the postseason with a stellar 1.99 Goals Against Average and a .917 Save Percentage to go along with four shutouts, standing on his head time and time again.
While the Golden Knights are spending $12 million on two goalies in a flat cap world, they will have a huge advantage heading into the 2020-21 season and, if they can manage both Robin Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury and keep both happy, then it could be a tasty recipe for success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
2. What difference will Alex Pietrangelo make?
Arguably one of the biggest names available in Free Agency, Alex Pietrangelo opted to leave the St. Louis Blues and sign a huge seven-year, $61,600,000 million contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.
It automatically made Pietrangelo a very rich man while also transforming the Golden Knights from a very, very good team into an elite one.
So, exactly what difference will Pietrangelo make?
Well, for starters, despite boasting talent all over the ice, the one area Vegas really lacked in was on defense. Yes, they have a rising star in Shea Theodore who could soon be in Norris Trophy consideration but, outside of that, it was more of a get the job done by committee type.
Alex Pietrangelo changes all of that.
The 30-year-old automatically brings more balance to the rest of the defensive pairings, while he can log huge minutes, play in all situations, quarterback the power play and kill penalties.
He is also incredibly responsible in his own zone and can lay the body on, while his ability to move the puck will greatly help the transition game, an area in which the Golden Knights have really struggled.
Plus, Pietrangelo can also provide offense and he recorded 52 points (16 G, 36 A) in 2019-20 with the Blues, so he will also be relied on to put up big numbers for this Vegas team.
And, providing a lethal one-two punch with Theodore on the backend, Alex Pietrangelo will just give the Vegas Golden Knights an extra weapon to which to punish teams with, and the veteran could prove to be the final piece in this franchise’s Stanley Cup puzzle.
1. Can William Karlsson rediscover the Golden touch?
One of the biggest stories of the Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural year was no doubt center William Karlsson, who was a bottom-six grinder with the Columbus Blue Jackets, before completely flourishing in Sin City.
Karlsson looked like a new man with the Golden Knights, carving out career-highs in almost every category as he recorded 78 points (43 G, 35 A) in 82 regular-season games.
All of a sudden, the Vegas Golden Knights had their franchise center.
Developing into one of the best two-way centers in the game and earning votes for the Selke Trophy in his first two seasons with the Knights, Karlsson can do everything and he’s also a lot of fun to watch.
However, the forward’s production dipped in 2018-19, which was to be expected, but he regressed again last year with just 46 points (15 G, 31 A) in 63 regular-season games, before struggling in the postseason.
Karlsson was inconsistent in 2019-20 and endured a few cold spells, and some had wondered whether he had reached his offensive peak in 2017-18.
But, likely to start the 2020-21 NHL season back with his two partners in crime in Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault after spending chunks of last year between Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, there is every chance that Karlsson can benefit from being back with two players he shares insane chemistry with.
As a result, don’t be surprised if the 28-year-old has a real bounce-back year.
After all, he has still done everything else to a high-level even when he’s dipped offensively and, with an absolute stud on the backend in Alex Pietrangelo who is likely to only create more opportunities for his forwards, Karlsson could really feast on what is an average West Division after the big three in Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues.
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So, if William Karlsson can rediscover the Golden touch that made him such an offensive threat in 2017-18, then that is just another reason to add to the list as to why the Vegas Golden Knights could be unstoppable in 2020-21.