It’s no secret the Golden Knights are banged up. Heck, I think I’ve started every one of the last 10 stories I’ve written with some version of that statement. But the fact of the matter is whether it’s the play on the ice, the discussions off it, or anything in between, it’s affecting everything surrounding the team right now.
One such place we’re seeing that effect is in playing time. The Golden Knights have played a lot of hockey and traveled three times (one of which had complications) in the past eight days. Pete DeBoer is convinced fatigue is one of the main reasons his team threw away a three goal lead last night.
It’s that time of year, you look around the league and there’s a lot of blown leads. Teams don’t quite have things locked down yet. I think you combine that with five games in eight nights this week and some tired guys. We put some big minutes on guys with some of the injuries and I think we ran out of a little bit of gas and lost some momentum there. -DeBoer
Of the Golden Knights top four minute-getters at forward and defense, six are on pace to set career highs in average time on ice per game.
| This Season | Last Season | Career High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephenson | 19:48 | 18:06 | 18:06 (20-21) |
| Smith | 19:01 | 17:52 | 18:37 (15-16) |
| Karlsson | 18:56 | 18:40 | 18:52 (19-20) |
| Marchessault | 18:27 | 17:25 | 18:09 (18-19) |
| Pietrangelo | 26:23 | 24:26 | 26:18 (15-16) |
| Theodore | 23:28 | 22:33 | 22:33 (20-21) |
| Martinez | 22:30 | 22:34 | 22:52 (17-18) |
| Hague | 17:55 | 16:00 | 16:00 (20-21) |
Of course, as stated above, there’s a reason for it, and it’s unlikely the massive minute loads will continue, but the recognition by the coach matters.
DeBoer seems well aware that he’s overdoing it with the most important players he has left. It’s a delicate balancing act to continue staying competitive in these games while not burning guys out in games that ultimately will not decide the winner of the Stanley Cup.
When Stone, Pacioretty, Whitecloud, and eventually Tuch all return, everyone’s minutes will lessen, but the damage could already be done by that point. If the Golden Knights are admitting fatigue just eight games into the season, what will it look like in Game 100 when they are playing to win the Western Conference Final?
No one expects the NHL to head down the NBA path of “rest days” or “LeBron’s toenail need to be cut so he’s out tonight,” but the Golden Knights are going to have to have a heightened sense of awareness this season considering the missing players.
This was a huge week for us. We were staring at an absolutely potentially disastrous start, instead of just a bad start, and I think guys have dug deep to get us back to .500 here. -DeBoer
Now they have some breathing room. Might be time to let the big guys breathe.
Herby
I think there is a typo. Pietrangelo career high should be 26.18 n0t 16.18
trade
Vgk claim Amadio from Toronto
and Nolan Patrick is put on IR
THE hockey GOD
as stated earlier today, VGK pick up first available forward. A fourth liner, with 4 to5 years.
contract hit
Contract Terms
Cap Hit: $717,500.
looks like Nolan may be a bust with re occurring injuries despite showing some energy in his few games.
THE hockey GOD
best wishes to Nolan for speedy recovery, and a new barber.
Daryl
Picking him up at base salary is good but he’ll never see ice time when players get healthy if even before then
Richard Santomauro
Too early to hand out a grade on Patrick. Great hockey IQ, skating, passing and should start piling up the points once the team is back to health.
THE hockey GOD
you are forgetting the time off for the CHICOM olympics
unless the chicom’s blow it by doing something stupid like the Russians did and everyone boycotts their sorry, left wing, pinko butts.
Alex
Same ignorant ahole from the 50s who doesn’t understand the world or hockey…same idiot who thinks there is “bad ice” in the NHL…
Arnold Rothstein
Team ARNOLD
is working the phones, the boys in the back rooms are keying up
something special for the Toronto game
waiting on god odds to give us another gift from
control room.
Arnold
the ODDS BUSTER !!
Vlad
Stephenson is getting worn out by getting stuck with the dead weight like Pylon Krebs
Send Pylon down to the ECHL and bring someone else up who isn’t an anchor for everyone else
knights fan in minny
week 3 chandler is worn out what kind of a idiot are you
Vlad
Mccriminal is following Harry potters footsteps in TO
Pay a few most of the money and expect the other 18 or 19 to carry them
Mcriminal wins the award for fixing what wasn’t broken
Sad to see such a good thing pissed away
Galdom
Hey Vlad, did Peyton Krebs bang your mom or something?
Vlad
I’m thinking more like a sheep … with pictures… how else is he even playing in the league galdumb
THE hockey GOD
i think Vlad is looking up from bottom of Stoli bottle again, and his view his blurry and fuzzy; sound not so good either.
Galdom
Lots of rest to be had at the three week Olympic break.
Vlad
Thank god… we won’t have to read more of your verbal diarrhea hopefully then
THE hockey GOD
The Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames are among the trade finalists for Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported Saturday.
However, the situation remains “fluid and complex,” Weekes adds.
Richard Santomauro
I do believe that McCrimmon needs to somehow top the mistake of bringing the Walrus to Vegas. An Eichel deal would definitely top that one.
Z
cant manage minutes when you only can suit up 3 legit nhl lines and barely 3 pairs of defensemen.
Vlad
Hmmmm. Sharks missing 7 players tonight and they beat Winnipeg
Penguins have 5 of their top 6 out and still winning
Vegas has ridden the same old excuse into the ground despite other teams disproving their excuse.
Mcriminal has emptied the cupboard of all talent
Daryl
Sounds like excuses to me
Peyton Krebs is Vlad’s daddy
Anybody else worried about what we would give up for Jack Eichel?
Richard Santomauro
If McCrimmon can find a way to acquire Eichel without giving up the franchise then do it. Krebs is definitely OFF THE TABLE.
You have to consider Reilly Smith as a part of the deal since he is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year. Unless of course you think that #19 is a long term solution piece. We are already beginning to see injuries to #61 and #67 impact their playing time. Do you move a top 6 player knowing that your #1 line is getting older and subject to injuries?
It is highly unlikely that Smith alone will be enough for Buffalo. Maybe you offer 2 HSK prospects like Dugan and Dorofeyev and a 1st or 2nd round pick?
I don’t think that Eichel is worth the risk, period.
I’ve got pictures!
Krebs off the table??? Ha ha ha
Who will miss his ZERO goals he’s got???
Galdom
If Shea Theodore hits the open market he is worth about 8 million. The facts that he is signed for 5 more years including this year at 5.2 million makes him extremely valuable in my opinion. Trading Theodore and Reilly Smith for Jack Eichel should be enough. Because then next year they will have to do one of those Nate Schmidt for nothing type deals to get under the cap with one of their other forwards.
In my opinion if Buffalo wants to maximize their return and get more then Theodore they should retain 4.8 million of Eichel’s yearly cap hit. To me it makes too much sense. Then we are able to keep Riley Smith for this year‘s playoff run and Buffalo can get a bunch of futures from us like Krebs, 1st round pick. It would seem silly to send away Reilly Smith just to make the cap hits identical. First of all, I’m sure Buffalo doesn’t even really want Smith since his contract is expiring. I’m dying to know how this plays out but I’ve got a bad feeling this could be the trade that hurts us.
I’m concerned.
One point that I believe Ken brought up in the past was that Pietrangelo and Theodore have never been elite at the same time on this team. Maybe you don’t need two studs. But I don’t think that should diminish Theodore’s value.
If you were to look at players as stocks guys like Theodore and Stephenson provide far more value than their cap hits. I don’t think you want to move those guys.
Nic Hague is a non starter for me. I’d like to see him signed to an extension soon to be Pietrangelo‘s permanent partner.
Rich
The only response I have to all of this Eichel nonsense is “NO NO NO NO NO”.
Trading for Eichel will further cement McCrimmon’s place in the VGK Hall of Shame.
Bad Vlad
Because mccriminal has reduced this team to a smouldering heap it’s now to the point of CMA and CMA. And yup it’s gonna hurt… other than not ever having to put that dead weight Pylon Krebs out on the ice.
Amazing how fast a junior hockey coach turned nhl GM was able to decimate a contending team. Well I guess there are still 2 originals he hasn’t shipped out. Most GM’s take a number of years to reduce a team to rubble. Only took mccriminal 2 years!
He’s now backed team into corner. Either move forward with a 3 legged stool, have stone and pac shut down and watch it crumble… and we saw in playoffs how that went
Or try to get it to a 4 legged stool and pray to god.
With all the draft picks Vegas piled up it’s amazing they have really nobody in the wings. Their development of young talent has been shit.
Next move better be foley kicking mcrimmons ass down the road. Preferably after doing the foley trademark move of telling him how great he is and that he will be with the team forever and let him find out on Twitter he’s been canned while standing on the curb during an out of town game
Richard Santomauro
Rubble?
That’s a bit harsh. Has McCrimmon made this team worse? Between the pipes, there is no doubt about that. But, that situation is easily fixed with both Brossoit and Thompson at the ready.
I still think we have some very good players coming up, including #6, #8, #15, #16, #18, #25, #41, #42, #43, #49, #57, #64, #65 and of course #36!
#6 Kaedan Korczak (D), 20yrs, 6-3, 202
#8 Jack Dugan (LW), 23yrs, 6-2, 216
#15 Jake Leschyshyn (C) , 22yrs, 5-11, 192 *VGK Roster as of 10/31
#16 Pavel Dorofeyev, (C), 21yrs, 6-1, 186
#18 Peyton Krebs, (C), 20yrs, 6-0, 185 *VGK Roster as of 10/31
#25 Lucas Elvenes, (RW), 21yrs, 6-1, 198
#36 Logan Thompson, (G), 24yrs, 6-4, 207
#41 Nolan Patrick, (C), 23yrs, 6-2, 201 *IR
#42 Daniil Miromanov, (D), 24yrs, 6-4, 202
#43 Paul Cotter, (RW), 20yrs, 6-2, 208
#49 Peter Deliberatore, (D), 21yrs, 6-0, 174
#57 Mason Primeau, (C) 20yrs, 6-6, 213
#64 Ben Jones (C), 21yrs, 6-0, 183
#65 Zack Hayes (D), 21yrs, 6-3, 222
I am of the mindset that guys like Stone & Pacioretty, Janmark & Stephenson are veteran players that will help develop the younger talent. If they happen to contribute to a Cup then great. I see the more important indirect value, which is to teach the young players what its like to be on a contender and to help them develop.
The VGK should be fine in the long run if they can overcome the problems with the coaching and the goal tending.
Galdom
Agree with Richard
Krebs…You SUCK
My point exactly!
Look at that list!
Makes you wanna puke how bad it is
Shut stone and Pac down and 2 of the 3 legs are kicked out from under the stool.
Mccriminal burnt the house down in a fraction of time most others have done the same
Daryl
You are right about a lot of things but completely wrong when it comes to Krebs
Makes u wanna cry
That list would make any GM wanna cry
Could it get any worse???
Vegas… the leafs v2
Amazing how so many wanna keep players who can’t score any goals
How’s that working so far???