No, not that wall. Relax, Jethro.
It’s an NHL custom by now, the Las Vegas Golden Knights discovering a approach to purchase the most important piece on the free agent or commerce market, both in the summertime or on the deadline. They normally do it by ready for one thing to fall off Mark Stone or Jack Eichel after which utilizing the LTIR area. Different groups can cry about it, and normally do, however them’s the principles. Mark Stone and Jack Eichel get damage. Sort of their factor.
It’s no completely different this time, because the Knights have used Stone’s spleen cash to nab Noah Hanifin from the Calgary Flames final evening, and Hanifin was in all probability the most important title left within the defenseman store. At the least since Hanifin’s former teammate Chris Tanev was punted to Dallas earlier.
It’s clear what Vegas is after right here. Hanifin isn’t spectacular at something whereas being fairly good at nearly every little thing. He’s a big man at 6-foot-3, however isn’t a plodder. He’ll be part of a protection the place not one of the six d-men deployed throughout the playoffs will probably be underneath 6-foot-2, which none of them are all that sluggish of foot.
What that can improve is what the Knights need to, and possibly should, do to get out of the Western Convention. Their possible path again to the Closing is thru some order of the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, two of the highest-scoring groups within the league. After that, it’s one of many Dallas Stars, Winnipeg Jets, or the Colorado Avalanche — and the Avs and Stars are two of the top-three scoring groups within the league.
Digging deeper, what Kelly McCrimmon is eyeing down the pike in April and Could is that Edmonton, Colorado, and Winnipeg are a number of the finest rush groups within the NHL, and to allow them to carry the puck into the offensive zone with possession and velocity is the quickest approach to find yourself out in your ass earlier than the trophies are handed out.
The Knights are one of many higher groups at denying clear entries round:
And we noticed this in observe when the Knights ended the Oilers’ 16-game profitable streak final month. They suffocated Edmonton proper at their blue line, with strain from either side forcing the Oilers to dump the puck in or find yourself in a probable turnover, turning the Knights up the ice the opposite method. And when you dump the puck in in opposition to the Knights, it’s sort of over, given the dimensions and mobility of their protection. The Knights aren’t actually fussed about exiting their zone with possession, as they’re completely satisfied to financial institution, chip, or float the puck out of their zone and let their forwards chase it down within the impartial zone. As you possibly can see right here, their prime 4 earlier than Hanifin’s arrival have been a number of the finest at not turning the puck over under their aim line:
Hanifin is barely common at this type of factor, as he’s proper on the axis there. However with higher assist from the Vegas forwards than he received from the Flames’, he’ll in all probability leap in effectiveness so long as he’s efficiently slicing off the blue line to the likes of Pettersson, Miller, Draisaitl, McDavid, MacKinnon, Robertson, Hintze, and the like.
Playoff hockey slows down from the common season, and extra of it’s performed on the boards and within the corners. The locations the place the Knights excel, particularly when Stone is miraculously wholesome come Spherical 1 Recreation 1. Hanifin solely offers them extra of it, and if any rival really desires to show the Knights over 4 out of seven occasions, they’re going to have to enter the darkish and indignant locations. The acquisition of Hanifin will solely funnel opponents to them much more.
And naturally, the Knights in all probability aren’t accomplished. They by no means are. Even with the return of Stone, they appear just a little quick at ahead. Which is why they’ve stored different first-round picks dry to be within the operating for Jake Guentzel. However a group can deal with being just a little quick at ahead if they will hold video games from turning into observe meets, which is clearly their intention and specialty. And will all that not work there’s nonetheless Adin Hill ready on the finish, the man who backstopped them to the Cup final spring and is third in goals-saved above anticipated per recreation this season.
Identical because it ever was.
