With the New Year comes a new hockey season in 2021. After a tumultuous 2020 calendar year, the NHL is gearing up towards a January 13 start. Usually at this time of year, players are in full swing and at peak performance while us “Average Joes” are making New Years resolutions to shed some lbs.
Uniquely, NHL teams and players alike will be setting New Years resolutions for their upcoming season. With this January start seemingly being a one-off, what resolutions will the Golden Knights be making? More scoring, more saving, more defensing? Keep on scrolling for five New Years resolutions for a successful Golden Knights season.
Let’s Get More Out of Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch is one of the most promising young players on the Golden Knights roster. He already has three NHL seasons under his belt at the ripe age of 24-years-old. He’s seen it all already. From overwhelming success to injury heartache and prolonged scoring droughts, Tuch has the outlook of a grizzled veteran with the skill and potential of a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed rookie.
His unique blend of size and speed is that of a young Wayne Simmons. He’s not as physical on the forecheck, but he’s effective with and without the puck. He possesses a strong power move to the net and has the hands to finish at a higher clip than he has in the past. Frustration builds within the fan base, but that’s due in part to the flashes of brilliance he’s already shown at the NHL level.
It’s no secret that the Golden Knights have a depth issue and have yet to piece together a solid, efficient third line since 2017-18. Tuch’s best games have come in the Top-Six with second line minutes and linemates. With Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone cemented as first-line wingers, it’s worth experimenting with Tuch on the second line. He could unseat the streaky Jonathan Marchessault at 2-LW and benefit from time with Reilly Smith across the ice. Smith could also flip sides to make the transition easier on Tuch.
Regardless of what is done, the Golden Knights need Alex Tuch to be productive. He’s one of their most promising players and if they can’t find a fit for him on the third line, they’ll need to give him higher quality linemates. His impact is very hard to project with Cody Glass, Chandler Stephenson, and Nic Roy as the top candidates for third line minutes. Tuch to the second line may be the way to go, resulting in this Top-Nine.
Pacioretty - Karlsson - Stone
Smith - Stephenson - Tuch
Marchessault - Glass - Roy
Glass and Tuch weren’t particularly productive together hence Stephenson ahead of him on the depth chart. Combine that with the clear similarities between his and Marchessault’s games and you can see the potential. Roy would provide the big forechecking presence those two smaller guys could benefit from. Food for thought, but anything to get Tuch going is priority number one for Pete DeBoer in his first “full” season with the Golden Knights.
Make the Glass Half Full
While on the topic of depth scoring, seeing another step in the growth of forward from Glass is crucial. He’s reportedly put on a fair amount of size and muscle this offseason while rehabbing, in hopes of sticking for the full season. There are limited immediate options in the minors so he will have considerable leash, sans injury.
Glass is a creative playmaker with plus hands and scoring potential. He showed flashes of his high-end talent on the Power Play last season and received rave reviews from both Pacioretty and Stone. If he’s impressed the two most prolific players in the room, he’s definitely got the goods. If he stays healthy and builds positive chemistry with his linemates, the Golden Knights will have to actively try to miss the playoffs. He and Tuch are the two big names to watch this season.
Lehner and Fleury Playing in Perfect Harmony
Having two goalies that are worthy of starting is typically a luxury. Somehow, this holy union of tendies has been controversial, thanks to an over-aggressive agent and marketing machine that didn’t miss. Since the Expansion Draft, Marc-Andre Fleury has been marketed as the savior, the Face of the Franchise. Last season, the team happened to acquire a goalie who outperformed him and people didn’t know how to take it.
On one hand, fans loved the play of Robin Lehner. He was doing a great job, had some sweet looking pads made, and was a great rental. Once he was named the playoff starter, all bets were off. The fans’ savior was unseated after being outperformed in a 50/50 regular season timeshare with Lehner. This led to the agent posting a nonsensical image on Twitter and stirring up pandemonium.
If the fans and the team alike can figure out how to manage this elite tandem, the club will flourish. These high caliber goaltenders can make up for the mistakes of (hopefully two) young defensemen in the lineup (Zach Whitecloud and Nic Hague). They can also be the remedy for a cold offense looking for depth scoring. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon did what’s best for the on-ice product resigning Lehner and keeping Fleury. Now the hope is that Lehner and Fleury can play together, in perfect harmony.
Please, No Injuries
Any team hopes to avoid the injury bug, but this Golden Knights team CAN’T lose their top-end players for an extended period. The reinforcements available are largely underwhelming, especially at the AHL level, where there are many players with little to no professional experience.
Chandler Stephenson has done great playing up in the past and Tuch could certainly take on more minutes, if needed. Glass’ first-round pedigree could prove to be useful, in addition to Peyton Krebs, a Top-Six type player who could very well be on the taxi squad to start the season. While each player has promise, there’s no replacing a Pacioretty, Smith, or Stone. Those are big hits to this club.
Arguably more important are the bonafide stars of the defense corps. Both Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore are elite players who are heads and shoulders better than any other d-man in the system. As an organization, their defense depth is strong, but none of the options can be expected to have as many plus qualities as Nos. 7 and 27. Injuries could quickly derail a good season in Vegas.
We Need a Breakout Star
There are a few breakout options on the projected opening day roster. Nic Roy, Cody Glass, and even a player like Alex Tuch could be the breakout player of the season for the Golden Knights. Tuch has a 15 and 20 goal season under his belt, but it’s not hard to envision the young power forward reaching the 30-goal plateau at some point in his career.
Glass will have a chance at completing a full season, coming back stronger and fully prepared for the physical demands of an NHL workload. He didn’t get the grinding seasoning of the AHL, so his first taste of the NHL had to be eye-opening. He’s seen the worst of it, ending his season with surgery and can now capitalize on his potential.
Roy came to Vegas as an afterthought in the Erik Haula cap casualty trade, but has impressed in his limited time with the big club. He’s a big body, who can do it all, and might be poised for Power Play time in the future according to DeBoer. A big season out of the big center isn’t out of the question.
If and when Peyton Krebs makes the team, he will have an impact. He’s displayed overwhelming talent, both in camp with the Golden Knights and currently during the World Junior Classic, representing Hockey Canada. He stormed into the WJC with a 2-1-3 stat line right out of the gate. Krebs is undersized, more so than Glass, but could certainly find success if called upon.
The above wishes should be atop the Golden Knights’ New Years resolution list this year. With a new playoff format - four qualifiers in each division - their path to the playoffs is fairly clear, but once the postseason begins, they’ll need their resolutions to come true. They’ve gotten used to regular season success, but it’s time to get back to postseason success akin to their 2017-18 Stanley Cup run. They’ve got as good a chance as any, especially if any number of these resolutions come true.
Hit me in the comments below and make some VGK resolutions of your own! Be sure to stay up to date with all things VGK as we get closer to the start of the new, shortened season! Follow me at the links below!
Vegas Golden Knights Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»