Is the Golden Knights' problem Jack Eichel?

[ZJuice]

In EA NHL “Be a Pro” Eichel refuses to pass to me when I call for pucks. Bastard

 

[Vegas07]

I think Vegas' thought process was that in order to free up money to get Eichel who was supposed to improve their PP, they had to rid of Fleury (and there was already that weird agent drama with Fleury anyways). Funny thing is, Vegas' PP is still bad, worst than the Sharks' inept PP. But I think they tried to deal from area of strength and depth to improve an area of weakness.

The team used the extra cap space to sign Dadonov and Broissoit and as a result didn’t free up any money after the trade of Fleury.

Then the team got Eichel. No wonder why we have cap issues.

And Fleury never should have made the money he did but the team gave him a dumb extension a year early, and of course he played worse his second year in Vegas (to be fair though it was tough to match his performance in his first year, but that’s also why you don’t extend him early when his value is higher).

 

[steierwrass]

Vegas will make the playoffs and I think they will get 3rd spot in their division

7-3-0 in their last 10 games and they have two guys coming off the IR the moment the playoff start(that is another topic for another day)--I look at their schedule and think that unless the team bus drives out into the vegas night and is never seen again--they are not missing the playoffs

I think, that 7-3-0 for last 10 games is not enough for them to make playoffs. They can make it, but they might need more than that. Even 8-2-0 doesn't guarantee it. Considering that, you sound pretty optimistic.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Injuries, injuries, injuries, which have led to a lack of continuity and sketchy chemistry. The VGK played 37 different players during the season (League record?), and played most games with a cap of around $60M. In fact, I don't think that we played five games this year with our normal first line of Pacioretty, Stone, and Stephenson. Scratch off this M*A*S*H-unit season, get the invalids healthy, look forward to next.

Will be interesting to see whether DeBoer will long be around. He's obviously had a very tough year with all the injuries and kept the team sort of competitive nonetheless, but there's been times during his last few interviews where one has gotten the impression that he already knows that his time in Glitter Gulch is about to run out, and the VGK organization has a very low tolerance for failure. If DeBoer goes, it's his own fault for keeping his inept buddy Steve Spott around coaching a PP offense that has consistently awful since he's been there. But there are decent odds that the organization will fire Spott and force DeBoer to either pick up a better assistant or hit the road himself.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I think, that 7-3-0 for last 10 games is not enough for them to make playoffs. They can make it, but they might need more than that. Even 8-2-0 doesn't guarantee it. Considering that, you sound pretty optimistic.

Even if the VGK did make the playoffs, they'd get killed in the first round, so what's the point? Anybody who thinks that Pacioretty and Stone could walk on the ice in Game 1, play like they never missed a game, and there would be immediate chemistry all around has utterly lost all radio contact with Planet Reality. Scratch this season to the injury bug and move on to the next.

 

[VivaLasVegas]

The team used the extra cap space to sign Dadonov and Broissoit and as a result didn’t free up any money after the trade of Fleury.

Then the team got Eichel. No wonder why we have cap issues.

And Fleury never should have made the money he did but the team gave him a dumb extension a year early, and of course he played worse his second year in Vegas (to be fair though it was tough to match his performance in his first year, but that’s also why you don’t extend him early when his value is higher).

Will be interesting so see what happens in the offseason. Dadonov finally started playing up to his contract and frankly plays about as well as anybody with Eichel. Lehner (healthy or not) is inconsistent, Broissoit is just a waste of cap space, but Thompson looks pretty good. Wouldn't surprise me if Thompson ended up the No. 1 goalie, they dumped Lehner and found a suitable backup, and then Broissoit rides the pine as #3 until his contract expires at the end of next season.

 

[Mr Positive]

What happens when guys are ready to come back from IR and Vegas is over the cap?

they stay on the IR and the league does nothing. Unless the player raises a stink, that's how it goes. It's not like there is a magical medical scanner that says a player is ready. If the player says they could use more time, they get it.

 

[GrungeHockey]

30 games of their career (also ignoring Eichel is coming off major surgery and hadn’t played in over a year) is definitely the best way to judge who won a trade.

I fully expect you’ll look like a moron by about game 20 next season.

I fully expect I won't. Neither will Buffalo or Adams.
First off, Tuch is also coming off of major surgery.
Second, I never said Tuch was as good, just that his impact on Buffalo has had a significant positive impact. That team lacked leadership, something their old diva captain failed to provide, and he, a Buffalo area kid who grew up a fan, is providing it.

Get back to me in a few years as Buffalo rises and Vegas falls.

and the golden helmets are ridiculous looking. maybe they're to blame

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

It would be a travesty if Vegas fails to make the playoffs, all the Vegas bandwagoners would hop off the wagon.

 

[LokiDog]

The cap management has been… questionable. On paper, Eichel was the center they need, but they have 3 forwards making 7M+ and another 4 making 5M. That’s 46.5M up front on 7 forwards. Then 8.8M on Pietrangelo and 2 more D at 5.2M+. That’s another 19.25M on 3 D.

10 players earning 65.75M, only one of those contracts expiring. That leaves 16M for the remaining 10+ roster spots. Even with so much money on LTIR they barely have cap space for replacement level depth. I’m very curious to see how they think it’s going to work going forward. They don’t have a super impressive prospect pool to back fill from.

They have 7M coming off the books in Janmark and Smith but are currently over by 9.9M. McNabb + Whitecloud’s combined cap jumps from 3.225M to 5.6M next year. They should be starting at 4.5M over the cap and then they have to re-sign or replace Hague, Howden, Kolessar, Roy, and others. So in addition to Smith and Janmark, someone else with a price tag will have to go. Dadanov is enough to just put them under the cap, but not re-sign their guys or even have enough guys to fill a roster. So Dadanov, Smith, Janmark and another decent price tag all have to go, just to squeeze the remaining group under the cap. Lehner likely will go but then you have big Qs in goal and are still barely re-signing your depth plus coming back with a weaker squad, no additions and no cap space to maneuver with. And that’s not to mention Tuch and Krebs out on top of the guys they have to let walk/move.

As much as a 1C was needed on paper, taking on a 10M cap hit was… interesting.

 

[Volica]

The cap management has been… questionable.

All we needed tbh.
This team went from having a clean slate, to being in absolute cap hell within a few years, with no ELC's to alleviate the burden due to having traded away so much capital.

Eichel's not the problem. The problem was jumping in on every big name made available over the past few years, including trades and signings. It's crazy this team went from rag-tag group of misfits to overburdened cap-strapped team with multiple stars.

 

[LokiDog]

All we needed tbh.
This team went from having a clean slate, to being in absolute cap hell within a few years, with no ELC's to alleviate the burden due to having traded away so much capital.

Eichel's not the problem. The problem was jumping in on every big name made available over the past few years, including trades and signings. It's crazy this team went from rag-tag group of misfits to overburdened cap-strapped team with multiple stars.

True enough. I think writing it out was more of a mental exercise to help me digest how they made that transformation

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

The cap management has been… questionable. On paper, Eichel was the center they need, but they have 3 forwards making 7M+ and another 4 making 5M. That’s 46.5M up front on 7 forwards. Then 8.8M on Pietrangelo and 2 more D at 5.2M+. That’s another 19.25M on 3 D.

10 players earning 65.75M, only one of those contracts expiring. That leaves 16M for the remaining 10+ roster spots. Even with so much money on LTIR they barely have cap space for replacement level depth. I’m very curious to see how they think it’s going to work going forward. They don’t have a super impressive prospect pool to back fill from.

They have 7M coming off the books in Janmark and Smith but are currently over by 9.9M. McNabb + Whitecloud’s combined cap jumps from 3.225M to 5.6M next year. They should be starting at 4.5M over the cap and then they have to re-sign or replace Hague, Howden, Kolessar, Roy, and others. So in addition to Smith and Janmark, someone else with a price tag will have to go. Dadanov is enough to just put them under the cap, but not re-sign their guys or even have enough guys to fill a roster. So Dadanov, Smith, Janmark and another decent price tag all have to go, just to squeeze the remaining group under the cap. Lehner likely will go but then you have big Qs in goal and are still barely re-signing your depth plus coming back with a weaker squad, no additions and no cap space to maneuver with. And that’s not to mention Tuch and Krebs out on top of the guys they have to let walk/move.

As much as a 1C was needed on paper, taking on a 10M cap hit was… interesting.

I don't even know how big of a need it was. Patches-Stephenson-Stone was a great line, Stephenson isn't a sexy name but if it works, who cares? Steve Rucchin was the center of one of the best lines of the 90s. Eichel should be a star and is young so I get the appeal but to me it was always questionable to get heavy into this, especially after they picked up Dadonov.

 

[TeddyBare]

Talking about a player under performing for the knights, it is Pietrangelo.

This guys terrible defensive play this season is concerning.

 

[lwvs84]

If they were fully healthy, they'd be even worse... they would have to forfeit every game

But seriously, they've gotten away from what made them good at the beginning. They were a deep team that could send wave after wave every shift at the other team. They've gotten too caught up in star power which top loads the team... when you can have them in. Injuries mean more when you sacrifice that depth too, and injuries happen more often when you have guys that play more minutes.

 

[mundyc3]

What big name is Vegas going to land this summer if they don't win the cup this year?

To answer this seriously, it will be players on ELC's that can contribute. Logan Thompson will send out Brossoit's salary. Hopefully guys like Ivan Morozov and Brendan Brisson will be here ready to contribute. Next year should be a more structurally sound team. haha

 

[Mobiandi]

I have no problem with them dumping players that have no use to them anymore. Better than going the other route and rewarding players for their loyalty above their performance (Red Wings c. 2010s). They're trying to win the cup, not the hearts of neutral fans

That said, trading a 1st/2nd/3rd for Tatar and packaging him with Suzuki for Pacioretty is horrendous GMing and set them back substantially

 

[Contenderorpretender]

I love this narrative. I don't believe it. But it's funny that people think this.

 

[kevsh]

LV paying the price for giving out draft picks like candy (what was that haul for Tatar, a 1st Cadbury, 2nd Hershey's and 3rd Nestle Crunch?) and yeah, they've had a lot of injuries to deal with.

I suspect they'll be solid again next year but the medium to long term future is going to continue to be reaping the rewards of being a top preferred destination for UFAs.

 

[myperbixhurts]

Meanwhile Tuch is putting up very good numbers in Buffalo, Krebs not so bad either

 

[SensontheRush]

ARE the Golden Knights' problem Jack Eichel.

They are Golden Knights, not Golden Pirates!

 

[swimmer77]

Admittedly, I won't be totally unhappy if they miss the playoffs. They had their chances and I liked Gallant. They could use some adversity with or without the "Eichel Effect".

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

That Tuch and Krebs for Eichel trade is looking better in favour of Buffalo for now. I could see Tuch putting up 70pts next year and 60pts for Krebs.

 

[Hisch13r]

"You can't win with Alex Ovechkin"

"You can't win with Phil Kessel"

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

Talking about a player under performing for the knights, it is Pietrangelo.

This guys terrible defensive play this season is concerning.

This is the real issue in my opinion. Gutting their roster to make space for Pie and having him play like he has this season....just unfortunate. I legitimately don't know what is going on with him but he looks like a depth defenceman out there.