For NHL fans, early March highlights a special time of the year when the hockey world seems to go stir-crazy at the end of winter. No, I’m not talking about the annual start of the Stanley Cup playoffs but the stakes are just as high when you look at the March 8th trade deadline this year. For many franchises, trade rumors are an integral part of the season and in reality, no team can truly escape the rumor mill’s tight grasp as general managers, players, fans and pundits alike hold their collective breath to see which players are heading where for the next few weeks. The Vegas Golden Knights will no doubt enter into the trade rumor foray with a bit of trepidation on the part of its ownership and front office. After all, the Golden Knights did win the last Stanley Cup; however they’ve stumbled lately with an overall 32-19-7 record and an 0-5-1 record in the last six games.
The Golden Knights seem to be a steady lock on the second-place spot in the Pacific Division heading into playoff crunch time. However, the gap between the Golden Knights and the division-leading Vancouver Canucks continue to widen with an eleven-point spread between the two franchises. In addition, the Edmonton Oilers have been steadily working their way up the standings after a disastrous start to their season and their recent winning streak highlighted this franchise’s momentum – a worrisome trend for Vegas as the final leg of the 2023-24 season heats up. With each game becoming more and more crucial and points desperately needed , the Golden Knights are watching their comfort zone pushed to the limit.
Is Vegas Skating on Solid Ice?
Truth be told, the Vegas Golden Knights have the versatility and depth to certainly make a Stanley Cup playoff run this April. However, the real question should be on everyone’s mind is exactly how deep a run can the Golden Knights realistically make? That remains the million- dollar question as Vegas looks, at least on paper, to be a solid team and largely in charge of their own playoff destiny this season. The disconcerting factors that leave nagging questions heading into the final regular season grind surround the Golden Knights’ special teams. With a meager power play that sits at 19.6% and an equally paltry penalty kill at 81.9%, there are playoff teams and then there are Stanley Cup champions. At this late point in the game, head coach Bruce Cassidy needs to shore up the special teams units before early spring arrives to kill off any hopes of a repeat of hoisting Lord Stanley’s big silver cup this June.
Injuries have nagged the Golden Knights this season,and the recent loss of team captain Mark Stone to a lacerated spleen highlights the recent losing streak that Vegas finds itself in as more and more top-line players keep falling victim to the injury bug. Despite the bulging Golden Knight injured reserve list, a number of players have used their playing time to full advantage. Names such as Jonathan Marchessault and Ivan Barbashev immediately come to mind and with Marchessault’s 29 goals and 17 assists, along with Barbashev’s 34 total points, mean that Jack Eichel’s absence hasn’t necessarily rocked the Golden Knights’ castle. In addition, the Golden Knights almost certainly can boast the best goaltending tandem in the NHL right now with the steady duo of Logan Thompson and Adin Hill. Hill alone boasts a 14-5 record with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage and his efforts this season have added his name to the Vezina Trophy mix – as a backup goalie no less. Logan Thompson again remains solid with a 17-11 record and a sound 2.74goals-against average and a .907 save percentage as well.
Are the Golden Knights in a Betting Mood?
In the modern NHL era with parity more than just a simple watch phrase, the Vegas Golden Knights need to at least entertain the option of buying or selling before the March 8th trade deadline. One of the recent potential trade additions that’s appeared on the trade radar screen is r San Jose Sharks forward Anthony Duclair . Duclair has been a mismatch in the Bay Area as his talents have fallen largely to waste with a disastrous season that looks to be another early-April mad dash to the golf courses for the Sharks. With Duclair’s skating speed and talent (Duclair had eleven points in the playoffs last season for the Florida Panthers), he makes for a tempting prospect for the Golden Knights to load up with offensive talent before the postseason.
A Golden Knight whose name is currently floating around the NHL trade circles is blueliner Alec Martinez . The 36 year-old defenseman brings a stellar pedigree with his name etched on Lord Stanley’s cup three times, along with his reputation as a solid shot-blocker in the defensive zone alone makes Martinez at least part of any defensive trade discussions. For the Golden Knights, dealing Martinez to another playoff contender makes sense at it immediately frees up $5 million dollar in cap space. While Martinez may be entering the twilight of his career, his reputation and standing as a top-notch blueliner may be enticing enough for the Golden Knights
