Typically, at this time of year, the Vegas Golden Knights are heavily involved in every big name at the trade deadline. Last season, they traded for Noah Hanifin and Tomáš Hertl, bolstering the team’s lineup significantly.
During this year’s trade deadline frenzy, they’ve been linked to several different players. While a Mikko Rantanen-level trade seems far-fetched, if the price is right, they could be on the hunt for reinforcements.
Related: Golden Knights February Prospect Report: Mathieu Cataford, Abram Wiebe, Carl Lindbom
Most of the team’s makeup was built during last season’s deadline, so making massive changes doesn’t make much sense, but they have numerous options on the table. As the old saying goes, when things are working, don’t change anything. That said, we start this news and rumors with an update on the standings and where the Golden Knights sit.
Golden Knights Remain in Driver’s Seat of Pacific Division
As we speak, the Golden Knights sit in the driver’s seat of the Pacific Division with 78 points and behind them are the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings. They’ve seen contributions from all parties, from the wingers to the defense; it’s been a full effort for Vegas.
To close out the regular season, they only have seven games against teams under .500 with 22 games left. This is quite telling for what to expect down the stretch, as the majority of teams have winning records.
We’ll talk about it in a bit, but should this impact the trade deadline? Probably not, but it’s interesting to look at. Twelve out of these last 22 games are on the road, where Vegas is 14-12-3.
The Oilers, who have been neck and neck with the Golden Knights this season, are 3-7-0 in their last 10 games, which has given Vegas some cushion. Their lead is nice now, but they’ll have to find ways to win on the road, with a little more than half of their games to close out the season coming away from T-Mobile Arena.
Jack Eichel’s Dominance Continues
A frenzy around the league kicked off when Jack Eichel was dealt to Vegas. It was arguably one of the biggest trades in recent memory when it took place, and the return of Alex Tuch and company was quite big as well.
Many didn’t know how he’d do in the gold and silver, but since he’s arrived, Eichel has been the knight in shining armor and is on pace to shatter his career high in points. He is on pace for 99 points, where his previous high of 82 with the Buffalo Sabres would be broken by a wide margin.
“There’s years in your career when you’re young, less miles and a few less surgeries and less injuries that obviously you feel good, but in recent years, yes, I would say (this is the best I’ve felt),” Eichel said. “I’ve done a lot to get myself to the position I’m in now physically. I feel like I continue to put in a lot of time and effort day in and day out and just try to be as consistent as possible with my routine and what I’m doing to prepare for games, getting myself in the best shape to do that.”
Eichel has blossomed this season with Vegas and will look to help lock down first place in the Pacific Division down the stretch.
Extras
- The Golden Knights have been tremendous at home this season, holding a 22-6-3 record. They also have the fifth-best goal differential at home. They’ve been dominant at the fortress and hope to continue into the playoffs.
- The longest homestand of the season continues for Vegas this week. With only two games left, they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kings. Already, they’re 2-0-0 after defeating the New Jersey Devils and Chicago Blackhawks.
- Adin Hill recorded his third shutout of the season against the Devils and his fifth as a Golden Knight, placing him second in franchise clean sheets. Expect a lot more of him down the stretch.
- The Golden Knights are 3-1-0 in games since coming back from the 4 Nations Face-Off.
