Steady, confident, and mature beyond his years, Zach Whitecloud has finally made the jump to the NHL and he is here to stay. With 53 games in the books, the Vegas Golden Knights called upon the young blueliner to not only join the team, but immediately slot into the lineup. With his first three games of the season in the rearview, it’s easy to see that Whitecloud is indeed an NHL caliber defenseman.
Zach Whitecloud has a ton of potential and is a very smart player (USA Today Sports)
In each of those three games, Whitecloud has been paired with Jon Merrill, a defenseman he resembles in many ways. Both he and Merrill are perceived as defense-first players, which is just fine for defensemen, but both have sneaky two-way games that shouldn’t be overlooked. Merrill suited up as a forward once this season and subsequently scored a goal. Whitecloud places a strong emphasis on his two-way ability, a talking point dating back to preseason conversations I’ve had with the 23-year-old rookie.
”That IS my game and I know that’s what I’m good at. Defending hard first and being reliable in my own zone at all times, in any situation, then get going north and contributing in the offensive zone as well.“
An ill-timed injury at the tail-end of the preseason may have been what eliminated Whitecloud from the roster battle he was seemingly leading this past September. Then-General Manager George McPhee made it clear in the summer that a rookie defenseman or two, would be featured with the big club. Whitecloud was doing everything right and putting forth the effort needed to be one of those guys. Then he suffered the upper body injury, which may have been a blessing in disguise.
”That’s (two-way play) definitely something I worked on in Chicago with Rocky Thompson and his staff and that’s something I got to hone in there, just working on the little things to help me help the team.“
With Nicolas Hague winning the proverbial roster spot battle over the likes of Whitecloud, Jimmy Schuldt, and Dylan Coghlan, the Bemidji State product focused on rehabbing his injury and eventually returned to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. There, he was able to hone his craft and continue developing his two-way game under Head Coach Rocky Thompson. Thompson is often the topic of conversation when speaking to recently promoted players like Hague, Whitecloud, and center Nicolas Roy.
While he isn’t a player that jumps off the stat sheet, Whitecloud is a guy who can fill very important and serviceable minutes for a Golden Knights team struggling to find consistency in their own zone. Aging veterans Deryk Engelland and Nick Holden have been playing big minutes, with the demoted Hague drawing into the lineup intermittently, in relief of Engelland and Merrill. Upon Whitecloud’s promotion, Engelland has rightfully been relegated to press box duty under the watchful eye of new Head Coach Pete DeBoer.
Whitecloud has been able to push Engelland out of the lineup for many reasons. Simply put, he is younger, faster, and more comfortable with the puck on his stick. Quick transition from defense to offense has always been a staple of good Golden Knights hockey and Whitecloud simply fills that role better than most. His new defense partner Merrill is back to an everyday role under DeBoer, as the coach has pre-existing rapport built from their time in New Jersey. DeBoer apparently likes the look he’s gotten out of this new third pair, with the two versatile and vocal d-men. Surely, Hague deserves another look and a promotion, but the point is moot so long as Holden continues to outperform his preconceived potential ceiling.
With Merrill and Whitecloud meshing so effortlessly and gracefully, the Golden Knights have not-so-coincidentally played three of their better games of the 2019-20 season. When speaking with Whitecloud, he credits their similarities and just how well they communicate on the ice for their success. Instead of growing pains, the pair is posting sparkling metrics since their holy union.
Merrill/Whitecloud (in all situations):
Zach Whitecloud: 61.02 Corsi For %, 70.37 Scoring Chances For %, 100.00 Goals For %, 69.91 Expected Goals For %
Jon Merrill: 56.34 Corsi For %, 64.71 Scoring Chances For %, 100.00 Goals For %, 75.42 Expected Goals For %
Merrill plays on the PK and Whitecloud certainly could and both still boast ridiculously good metrics, while trying to get accustomed to playing alongside one another. This is a clear testament to Whitecloud’s unheard of maturity, poise, and confidence. This caliber of performance is rarely expected of rookie defensemen, especially one who was glossed over in two straight drafts coming from the NCAA pipeline. Luckily the Golden Knights took a flier on the young buck from Brandon, Manitoba and it is beginning to pay dividends for a team desperately looking to stabilize a volatile 2019-20 season.
The sky’s the limit for the rookie defenseman if he continues to build on his confidence in his own two-way abilities and his comfort playing alongside Merrill. The two have given the Golden Knights some much-needed stability on their bottom pair, a luxury many teams do not enjoy. Whitecloud has developed both on and off the ice and both men seem to be getting the most out of one another. With the way they’re going, the duo won’t have to change a thing, but Whitecloud did hint at a possible step toward even more chemistry on the backend, as we were wrapping up our latest conversation. I’ll simply leave with the transcription for your reading pleasure.
JP: Did you grow out the hair specifically to match Jon (owner of an infamous mullet), have real chemistry on that pair, and the best hair on the defense?
ZW: (laughing) Yeah, I talked to Jon about possibly seeing what his guy can do for my sides, so we’ll have to see.”
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