On the final edition of 25-26 Report Cards, we take a look at the defensemen and goalies in the playoffs.
*Other Editions*
Forwards – Regular Season
Defensemen & Goalies – Regular Season
Forwards – Playoffs
Rasmus Andersson
Grade: B-
The production fell woefully short of what was expected but Andersson took a massive step forward defensively and was a huge reason VGK went as far as they did. He played a monster minute load (23:26 per night), was asked to shut down some of the most dynamic lines in the NHL, and he was able to do it. It ended poorly in the last games of the Stanley Cup Final but if that’s the Rasmus Andersson VGK are getting moving forward, they’ll be very happy… assuming a little more offense comes along with it.
Dylan Coghlan
Grade: A
From playing three games in the regular season to 13 in the playoffs, Coghlan was an incredibly important find to help solidify the defense core. With Lauzon out and Korczak and Hutton struggling, VGK needed someone to step in, and Coghlan did just that. The moment never looked too big for him, and his skating was much better than expected for someone who hadn’t seen playoff hockey. He even scored a goal, which only three defensemen can say this postseason.
Noah Hanifin
Grade: B
Similar to Andersson, Hanifin’s offense never came through in the playoffs. However, like his partner, he was way better defensively than anyone could have imagined. He and Andersson locked in and did the job in their own end that they were unable to do during the regular season. He gets a slightly better grade than his partner because the expectation offensively was a bit lower.
Kaedan Korczak
Grade: F
Simply put, Korczak failed the test. It was his first real taste of playoff action, and he didn’t quite look up for it. His gap control was lacking, his decision-making was suspect, and the game just looked too fast for him at different times. After being an automatic in the lineup all year, he ended up being healthy scratched for the final few weeks of the run, only to come back in for the very last game and struggle.
Jeremy Lauzon
Grade: B+
Lauzon did not post a point and he missed 10 games due to injury, but he still exceeded expectations in the postseason. His physicality made a big impact in the Utah series and defensively, things fell back into place when he returned in the Final. The best 12-game stretch of his season was the 12 in the playoffs. Good time to do it, which earned him a big chunk of change at the end.
Brayden McNabb
Grade: A+
McNabb has been a stalwart for the Golden Knights throughout their entire existence. He’s been good in every playoff run, all three Stanley Cup Finals, and most of his 647 games in Vegas. Yet, the best he’s ever played in his career came during this playoff run. He was incredible defensively, outscored every defenseman other than Theodore, and posted an amazing +13. And all of this is before he got smoked in the face with a puck, the came back and played extremely well in the very next game.
Shea Theodore
Grade: A
The question was being asked all season, “who is going to step up and fill Alex Pietrangelo’s shoes for the Golden Knights?” The answer was unequivocally Shea Theodore. He excelled in every area during the postseason while playing the most minutes and in the most difficult situations. It’s hard to have a coming-out party after playing more than 700 games, including 100 playoff games, but Theodore did it. He’s a bona fide #1 defenseman, and there’s really no argument against it after that run.
Carter Hart
Grade: B-
There was a little run in there from the end of the Ducks series through the Western Conference Final where he got in a groove and looked like a true difference maker in the net. However, the rest of the postseason, he was either below or well below replacement level. Taking it all together, he was a little better than expected, though the highest highs are exciting for the future.
Jeffrey Sutton
what a great run. VGK was 10-4 in the playoffs with Karlsson in the lineup. if his arm hadn’t gone snappo perhaps we get a different result
Jeffrey Sutton
Karlsson in the lineup unlocks Marner like no other centerman he was lined up with…
Emmanuel
Im not sure who plays LWor on which side of the pairing but
marner-karlsson-stone
mcnabb hanifin
Would be REALLY hard to score against
JB
Agree 100% Jeffrey. With Wild bill in there we most likely would have won the thing, in my opinion!
larry
Karly went out with 10 minutes to go in the second period of Game 5 with the scored tied at 1, by the time the 2nd period had ended VGK was down 3-1, and proceeded to be shut out the following game, coincidence? I think not!
Hdbiker7851
Wild Bill is the difference maker – we have to be careful how much we feel his presence is essential – the FO will notice and trade him away to provide another “ifey” player with a retirement package. They already have proven they are capable of that type of action.
Abdullah
All goalies F
Emmanuel
They were 2nd in shots against but 28th in save percentage so you are not far off the mark…
larry
Im a little stunned, a little amazed and a whole mess of disappointed after reading this summation of the defenseman grades during the playoffs.
The grades assigned except the one given to Korczak, were so generous and onerous that it seemed it was written by the players agents, or an extreme homer-reporter who didnt wish to ruffle feathers of the players he had to interact with, and I know you are NOT that guy KEN, so what gives????
Abdullah
Ken F
steve
I respect McNabb returning after that shot to the face and minutes played, however his fingerprints were all over the comeback in Game 3 in the third period and was owned by Staal on too many occassions to be given that kind of grade.
Andersson getting a B-? c’mon how can that be, poor stick handling and decision making, not too mention a concerted lack of offense as series’ unfolded it all just blends into the ridiculous contract he was given. not to mention the assets we gave up for him.
Hanifin a B?? what justification or qualification is there to be assigned that grade? A player of his size and skating ability to be a non physical factor, an extremely non offensive factor and a seemingly liability every time he was out there, there was so much more that was expected and hoped for from him.
Hdbiker7851
Wild Bill is the difference maker – we have to be careful how much we feel his presence is essential – the FO will notice and trade him away to provide another “ifey” player with a retirement package. They already have proven they are capable of that type of action.
Howard
Mcnabb, A+, lololol. He was horrible after game 3, like legendary bad. Granted, not being able to breathe thru his nose certainly caused this. However Ken, you clearly don’t know as much about hockey as you fancy yourself, with this grade.
Ken Boehlke
Are you aware they played 21 games in the playoffs? He may have been VGK’s 2nd best player for 18 of them.