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Vegas Recalls Vadim Shipachyov, Will Make Debut Sunday

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The Vegas Golden Knights have finally recalled center Vadim Shipachyov today from the Chicago Wolves, tweeted Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. In a corresponding move, Johnston tweets that Vegas has placed Erik Haula on injured reserve after a fight with Detroit’s Tomas Tatar last night.

For Shipachyov, it’s been a long wait to make his NHL debut. Considered to be a key signing by Vegas and quite possibly one of their best playmakers on the team, Shipachyov fell into a numbers crunch with the team’s extreme defensive depth of non-waiver eligible defensemen. In hopes of making a late trade, general manager George McPhee instead decided to option the Russian center to avoid having to place one of those defensemen on waivers and lose them. The 30-year-old has played his entire career in the KHL, putting up big numbers last season for St. Petersburg with 26 goals, 50 assists and 76 points, all career-highs. He signed a two-year deal with Vegas on May 4.

Instead, while he had been optioned to Chicago in the AHL, he never played for them, having stayed in Vegas. There were reports he was upset about the situation and his agents were looking for a way out of his contract situation. McPhee later said that he had no options, although that might be debateable, however, he said he spoke to Shipachyov’s camp and explained the situation better to the KHL veteran. Now, it looks like Shipachyov will make his debut Sunday at T-Mobile Arena against the Boston Bruins.

As for Haula, the 26-year-old wing has had a goal and an assist in four games. Claimed from the Minnesota Wild in the expansion draft, Haula had 15 goals and 26 points for the Wild last season and did score his lone goal last night against the Red Wings. The speedy wing had trouble getting minutes in Minnesota despite four years with the team and then chose to sign a three-year deal with Vegas, making him the Wild’s expansion selection.

Houston Rockets Owner Interested In NHL Franchise

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Could the NHL come to Houston? If Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has his way, it would be. The newest NBA owner had his introductory press conference today. While the majority of the questions naturally pertained to the Rockets franchise, Fertitta was asked about the possibility of a NHL team coming to Houston.

“I would put an NHL team here tomorrow, but this one has got to work,” Fertitta said (via Alex Del Barrio of CBS Houston).  “Would I love to have the other dates in the building, do I want to see Toyota Center filled up 300 nights a year, definitely. So we’ll do whatever we can do, but whatever we do is going to make sense. But yes, Will we be aggressive? Yes. That’s my nature.”

“We’ve looked at many NHL teams over the years and it wasn’t a matter of not wanting to bring in somebody as whether they’d be a tenant or not, it’s just that the deals didn’t work,” said Rockets CEO Tad Brown. “Leslie (Alexander) was always looking forward to opportunities that could make the city better, the sports scene in the city better, and Toyota Center more effective and fill more dates. The NHL at the time, the teams that he looked and that we looked at, the numbers didn’t work, the CBA didn’t work, and it just didn’t work for the structure that we had in place.”

As Del Barrio writes, Houston has a long history of professional hockey. Gordie Howe once played for the Aeros of the WHA, while the unaffiliated Aeros of the AHL called Houston their home for nearly 20 years (that franchise ultimately moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 2013). Former Rockets owner Leslie Alexander famously purchased the Edmonton Oilers in the late 1990s, but he was unwilling to meet the clause that required the franchise to remain in Edmonton for another seven years. The city was also considered for an expansion franchise, but teams were ultimately awarded elsewhere.

Several months ago, our own Zach Leach asked if Houston was a viable location for a new franchise. Ultimately, more than 50-percent of you said that the city would be a great fit.

 

Snapshots: Brouwer, Kostin, LTIR

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With the addition of Jaromir Jagr to the Calgary Flames (which has still yet to actually be announced), there is something of a log jam for bottom-six wingers. Troy Brouwer, the most expensive one of the bunch, has now been rumored to be on his way out according to Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver. While Dhaliwal makes it clear that nothing is imminent, a Brouwer trade would make sense for the Flames.

Last year, Calgary spent a second-round pick to acquire Curtis Lazar with the hope that he could develop into more than just a fourth-line player. Mark Jankowski, another first-round pick who the Flames have been waiting on impressed in camp and has earned a spot on the team. When added with Matt Stajan, Kris Versteeg and Freddie Hamilton the team clearly has enough bodies to handle a trade. Whether they swing a deal for Brouwer and his hefty salary ($4.5MM for each of the next three seasons) is still unclear, but Calgary is definitely a team to watch in the coming days.

  • Klim Kostin was on track to make the St. Louis Blues team out of camp but has suffered an injury according to Lou Korac of NHL.com. The young forward is set to miss 7-10 days and could start in the AHL to get his legs back under him before making an impact with the team. The Blues are without so many of their forwards to start the year that Kostin and other young players will likely have to play a role earlier than the team had wanted.
  • Speaking of the St. Louis Blues and young players, the team has announced an entry-level contract for Tanner Kaspick after spending some time with the club in camp this year. Kaspick is already back playing with his Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL, where he has four points in four games. Kaspick was a fourth-round pick of the team in 2016 but has shown that there may be more upside to his game than originally thought. In 49 games with the Wheat Kings last year he registered 45 points, and should be given even more responsibility this season as the new captain.
  • Chris Johnston of Sportsnet asked Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs if his team had been given any sort of decision from the league on the Joffrey Lupul situation, to which the GM said no. The league is set to decide whether Lupul and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, a decision that should be made before long. If they are, both Toronto and Chicago could get more salary cap relief. The Blackhawks did place one player on LTIR today, moving defenseman Michal Rozsival there to free up another roster spot. Rozsival signed a contract last season in order to help the Blackhawks become expansion draft compliant, but did not pass his physical at the beginning of training camp.

Oscar Dansk Looking For Career Revival In Vegas

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23 years old is still very young for a goaltender. Yet, that didn’t stop many people from writing off Oscar Dansk over the last few years and that was when he was even younger. The path that has led Dansk to a new NHL opportunity with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights has not be straight, nor has it been easy. However, with rave review after rave review coming out of Knights camp, it appears that Dansk may be back on track.

Dansk was originally drafted by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the first pick in the second round (#31) of the 2012 NHL draft, out of the Swedish club Brynas. With some prodding from the Jackets, Dansk then came overseas to play junior hockey with the OHL’s Erie Otters. Dansk’s first season of major junior action was a disaster; a 4.11 GAA and .888 save percentage immediately made people rethink Columbus’ decision to take him so early. Yet, Dansk bounced back in his second season in Erie. Thus, when Dansk struggled mightily in his first pro season in 2014-15 – a 3.50+ GAA and sub-.890 save percentage in both the AHL and ECHL – it would have been safe to assume that the next year he would rebound. However, the Blue Jackets had selected Joonas Korpisalo one round after Dansk in 2012 and had slowly been bringing along 2011 seventh-rounder Anton Forsberg as well and that duo had outperformed Dansk. Add in veteran Brad Thiessen, and the AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters had more than enough depth in net (and it would eventually lead them to a Calder Cup title in 2015-16). Rather than permanently put Dansk in the ECHL, Columbus agreed to loan him back to Sweden to play for Rogle BK. Dansk performed well in his first season back home, but the Jackets still chose to loan him out again last season. Following a more pedestrian campaign in 2016-17, Dansk did not receive a qualifying offer from Columbus and his NHL future seemed very much in doubt.

Enter the Vegas Golden Knights, the NHL’s newest team and an organization that needed to fill out the majority of an AHL roster almost entirely with free agent additions. Dansk got a second chance to make a name for himself in North America, inking a one-year with Vegas in early July. Dansk’s first objective is to win the starting job for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, the new affiliate of the Knights. His competition is former Dallas Stars’ prospect Maxime Lagace, who has had his own fair share of struggles early on in his career. Given the applause that Dansk has already seen in camp, that seems like a safe bet. Once Dansk is established as the next goalie in line in 2017-18, he need only wait for an opportunity to show Vegas what he has to offer. With veteran Marc-Andre Fleury coming off back-to-back seasons in which he shared the net in Pittsburgh and having suffered a concussion in each of those campaigns as well, it is possible that taking over a starter’s workload again could prove to be a tougher task than one might have considered. If Fleury misses time this season, which is surely a possibility, the Knights are set with promising young backup Calvin Pickard. And if Pickard needs a rest? Then Dansk is the man, and s career that went from a high likelihood of NHL success to a high likelihood that he may never even see NHL action will suddenly be back to where it began when he was drafted early back in 2012.

Mikhail Grabovski Wants To Play This Year

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Mikhail Grabovski hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2015-16 season, spending all of last year on long-term injured reserve with continued post-concussion symptoms, but as Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com reports he’s in Las Vegas today for his medical and maintains his desire to play. His agent, Gary Greenstein, told Cotsonika that Grabovski is “very positive.” The 33-year old forward was selected by the Golden Knights in the expansion draft after receiving a first-round pick from the New York Islanders, but few thought he’d ever suit up for the team.

At one point in his career, Grabovski was a dynamic center that could drive play offensively and hold his own in the defensive end (despite what some detractors might say) but hasn’t played more than 60 games in a single NHL season since 2011-12. For a team that will likely have trouble scoring goals, his addition could provide some depth down the middle and another presence for the powerplay.

All of this is just hope from Grabovski’s side at this point, as he’ll need to pass the medical and then convince head coach Gerard Gallant that he’s ready to compete in the NHL once again, but we have seen things like this before. Clarke MacArthur returned to the Ottawa Senators late last season after nearly a full season off with similar issues, and was a big contributor in the playoffs. Perhaps Grabovski can do the same, even if it doesn’t come at the start of the season.

Poll: Where Would You Like To See The Next NHL Franchise?

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With news this morning that Seattle will approve a plan for a new arena, expansion and relocation talk has ramped up around the league once again. The NHL will head into next season with 31 teams, and though that’s not impossible to carry forward is far from ideal. A 32nd franchise is expected at some point, and Seattle now will have a new, privately funded arena and a backer—billionaire David Bonderman—who according to John Shannon of Sportsnet has privately expressed interest in a team.

The question now is whether expansion or relocation is right for Seattle (if they are to get a team at all) and if there are any other markets that could be in the running for the 32nd franchise. Obviously, Quebec City has long been rumored as a potential expansion location and even put in a bid in the last round. Houston, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Portland and Hamilton have all been mentioned as possible fits, along with a potential second team in Toronto. Nothing is imminent in any of these markets, but the idea of expansion is at least interesting in each of them.

Where do you think will be the next city with an NHL franchise, either through expansion or relocation? We’ve listed some options below, but feel free to comment with others you feel could be a good market for a growing US hockey base. Whatever you choose, make sure to tell us which method it will be, and if relocation which franchise you see packing up and leaving.

Where would you like to see the next NHL franchise?
Quebec 38.13% (787 votes)
Seattle 35.95% (742 votes)
Kansas City 5.86% (121 votes)
Milwaukee 5.62% (116 votes)
Houston 5.52% (114 votes)
Toronto (second team) 3.25% (67 votes)
Portland 2.86% (59 votes)
Hamilton 2.81% (58 votes)
Total Votes: 2,064

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Seattle To Announce New Arena Deal

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In an interesting turn of events in Seattle, King 5 News is reporting that the city will announce a formal agreement with Oak View Group (OVG) to build a $600MM arena at Seattle Center. OVG is a group led by former Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, and would propose to have the new building finished by 2020. It’s a big first step towards any potential NHL expansion to the city, and the group already apparently has billionaire David Bonderman as part of their financing group. That could draw interest from the league, as a brand new privately funded arena and strong financial backing is exactly the type of thing they look for in expansion.

The deal would potentially include a 39-year lease with two eight-year options, and would provide the city with tens of millions of dollars for transportation improvements and funding for community needs. While the NBA has apparently said they have no plans to expand right now, it does seem like the plan hinges on professional sports expansion. The NHL would be at the forefront of that, though it likely wouldn’t come for several years.

If the NHL did happen to go to Seattle, it would require another slight re-alignment to the divisional structure. Though the Western Conference still holds one less team than the East and would be the easy place for expansion, the Pacific division would be the likely landing spot for Seattle given its proximity to the other teams. Given Vegas’ entrance into the same division, someone would have to move to the Central division. That would be tough, as the NHL would be hesitant to break up the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry, and Arizona and Vegas are so close to the California-based teams. It would be interesting to see what direction they go—of course, this is predicated on the divisions and league staying the same until 2020, something that isn’t certain until Arizona gets onto stronger footing themselves.

While this is likely a step in the right direction, it by no means signals a definite expansion to Seattle. Though there has been an appetite for a team in the past by both league and market, there are a lot of hoops to still jump through before anything actually happens.

The Best Fits For Matt Duchene

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Despite the tumultuous off-season for Matt Duchene and the Colorado Avalanche, GM Joe Sakic fully expects him to show up to training camp. At least, that’s what he told BSN Denver’s Adrian Dater. “He’s under contract and I expect him to be here” Sakic said, “Not everybody always comes to camp early. It’s not for me to (say), but I assume on the 14th, he’ll be here.” Sakic is referring to Duchene being one of only two Avs players under contract not to participate in captain’s practice last week. Holdouts may be rare in the NHL, but Duchene’s words and actions this summer have painted a pretty clear picture of a player who would like to leave Colorado.

If Duchene has reached his wit’s end with the trade rumors that have persisted since late 2016 and truly has no intention of suiting up for the Avalanche again, Sakic has just a few days left to trade him before this begins to enter holdout territory. The perceived problem all along is that Sakic has not dropped the asking price that has long been considered a young top-four defenseman, a first round pick, and one or two more young roster players or prospects. Not only do few (read: any) NHL teams have a young top-four blue liner to spare, but it’s hard to imagine anyone giving up such a package for Duchene, who has just two seasons remaining on his contract and is coming off a down 2016-17 season. Duchene had scored 55 or more points in five of his seven NHL seasons entering last year – and easily would have made it six had the the 2012-13 lockout-shorten seasoned been extended – yet, he ended up with only 41 points and an egregious -34 rating last season; a low point for both he and the Avalanche franchise.

Logic would seem to indicate that, holdout or not, Sakic has to continue listening to offers for Duchene and needs to lower an unreasonable asking price. TSN recently released their list  of the top nine NHL trade candidates this season, with Duchene obviously at the top. They list the Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, and Pittsburgh Penguins as the mostly likely destinations for Duchene. The Carolina Hurricanes and San Jose Sharks have also been in the rumor mix this summer.

Right away, a few of those options can have their odds discounted. Having just traded away Travis Hamonic and traded for Jordan Eberle, the New York Islanders and their estimated $3MM in cap space likely lack the capacity and the desire to pony up for Duchene at this point. The Isles are still deep on defense, but with Thomas Hickey and Dennis Seidenberg approaching free agency next year, trading yet another young defenseman like Calvin de Haan, Adam Pelech or Ryan Pulock could put the team in hole. Without one of those three, it is hard to see New York making a suitable offer. The defending two-time Cup champs are in a similar situation. While many Pens fans would love to see the embarrassment of riches of Duchene as the third line center behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh too lacks the cap space, currently about $3.25MM, and the pieces to get the job done. That is, unless Sakic is keen on Olli Maatta or the Penguins offer up Brian Dumoulin, Justin Schultz, or an overwhelming offer of picks and prospects including Derrick Pouliot and enough salary to offset Duchene. It’s a series of unlikely scenarios. Additionally, the Montreal Canadiens lack anything remotely close to a young top four defenseman. Duchene would be a great fit for the Habs, but they simply don’t have the pieces.

The Hurricanes and Bruins certainly have the pieces to acquire Duchene, but it seems unlikely that either will be the team to finally do it. Boston was in talks with Colorado last year, but balked at the ask of a package including Charlie McAvoy or Brandon Carlo and wouldn’t be willing to move Torey Krug either. If the price drops, the B’s have talented young defenders like Jakob Zboril, Jeremy Lauzon, Ryan Lindgren, and 2017 first rounder Uhro Vaakanainen waiting in the wings, but even if that was enough, the Bruins’ quiet off-season has indicated that they would like to move forward with their own young players this season. Carolina, on the other hand, is a Duchene-caliber player away from being a true contender and would love to add someone with his ability. However, GM Ron Francis has made it clear that he does not want to trade any of his defensemen. That hasn’t stopped TSN for listing “a Carolina defenseman” as one of their top trade candidates, but as of now there is no reason to think any of Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, or Noah Hanifin are going anywhere. Like Boston, Carolina still has solid pieces if the price drops, such as Haydn Fleury and Jake Bean, but another thought has been whispered this summer that may take Carolina out of the Duchene race altogether. Since acquiring Trevor van Riemsdyk from the Vegas Golden Knights back in June, a player who by all accounts they didn’t really need, many have speculated that Carolina is looking to make a run at 2018 premiere free agent James van Riemsdyk, to bring in the scoring power forward that they desperately desire.

The Blue Jackets and Sharks would be ideal landing spots for Duchene, but both teams would need to get creative with their offers. Both squads have a need for a scoring forward, the cap space to take him on and plenty of talented defensemen, but what they would be willing up on the blue line is not exactly what Colorado desires. There is no way that Columbus includes Zach Werenski or Seth Jones in a deal, but could be open to trading David Savard or Ryan Murray. However, each have a caveat. Savard, while a solid top-four talent, has had durability issues and difficulty with consistent production over the past couple of years. While he would be a great addition to any defense, that may not be what Sakic is looking to get back. Murray, while injury prone, is a highly-skilled young rearguard, but, amazingly, the 24-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent next summer. Any deal involving Murray would first have to include a long-term extension with the league’s worst team. Columbus’ best chance of getting Duchene likely involves a package with top defensive prospect Gabriel Carlsson and a young roster player like Josh Anderson or Oliver Bjorkstrand. San Jose also has a few untouchables on defense, namely superstars Brent Burns and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Colorado also wouldn’t be interested in veterans Paul Martin and Justin Braun. That leaves Brenden Dillon and Dylan DeMelo as the top options. While both have shown top-four potential, they have largely played shutdown roles in their young careers and bring little offensive upside. Like Savard, one would think that Sakic has a little more in mind for the Duchene return than stay-at-home defenders like Dillon and DeMelo. If the Sharks package versatile puck-moving D-prospect Jeremy Roy with either though, then talks could really get started. A package that starts like that and ends with a first-round pick and one of San Jose’s many young forwards could be enough to seal the deal.

Yet, the top candidate to bring in Duchene is likely the reigning Western Conference champs. No, the Predators are not moving any of Roman Josi, P.K. Subban, Ryan Ellis, or Mattias Ekholm, but the trick up their sleeve is top prospect Dante Fabbro. A junior teammate of Colorado top prospect Tyson Jost, Fabbro is considered one of the best prospects in hockey and should step into a top four role immediately when he leaves Boston University, much like Charlie McAvoy, who Sakic already targeted in Boston. Fabbro is not just a top-four defenseman, but a potential future #1 or at least a great option to pair with Cale Makar down the road. Sakic would be hard-pressed to find more upside up for grabs than Fabbro, but the Predators are set long-term on the blue line and desperately need to recoup the scoring lost in the Expansion Draft with the selection of James Neal. Fabbro, plus a young forward like Colton Sissons, Frederick Gaudreau, or Pontus Aberg, plus a first rounder and another pick or prospect, and Duchene could surely be on his way to Nashville.

Only time will tell where Duchene ends up, but the best case scenario for all parties is for that destination to not be Denver, Colorado for much longer. Sakic must and will eventually lower his asking price and someone will meet those demands. Could it be Nashville, Columbus, or San Jose? Definitely. Could it be Boston or Carolina? The Islanders or the Penguins? Possibly. Someone totally off the board? Of course. For such a talked-about topic, there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the situation. The next step will be to see if Duchene shows up to camp on Thursday. That decision could have a resounding effect on the trade process.

2017-18 Primer: Vegas Golden Knights

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With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come.  Today, we focus on the Vegas Golden Knights.

Obviously, looking at the Vegas Golden Knights is a bit different than the other teams. Heading into their first year in the league there are no “Key Departures” or even a record from last season. Instead, they’ll go in with sky-high hopes but reasonable expectations that should allow them to succeed regardless of how they finish in the standings. Their first job this season is to entertain and educate the hockey-going public in Las Vegas, showing them how exciting the sport can be—especially when your team wins.

Remaining Cap Space: $5.62MM per CapFriendly, with 26 roster players (23 will make the team).

[Related: Golden Knights Depth Chart From Roster Resource]

Players To Watch: F Vadim Shipachyov – The Golden Knights brought in some exciting players through the expansion draft, but none quite as intriguing as Shipachyov. The Russian forward has played his entire career in the KHL as one of the most consistent offensive players in the league, and has dazzled among the best in the world at international competition. Whether or not his game translates perfectly to the NHL is still up for debate, but he’s sure to put up at least a few remarkable plays to make the national highlight reels.

Shipachyov is signed for just two seasons in Vegas, and his role isn’t to take them to the playoffs. Instead, bringing in high-end offensive talent will help to take the burden off some of the lesser skilled players and allow them to contribute in roles their more accustomed to. Shipachyov will likely see a ton of time on the first powerplay unit and skate alongside scoring wingers like James Neal or Jon Marchessault right away.

The interesting thing about Shipachyov’s two-year contract is that it comes without any trade protection. The 30-year old center could become one of the Golden Knights’ best trade assets if he can show an ability to be a 40-50 point player in the NHL. It will be tough to move him though if a fan base falls in love with his slick puck work and playmaking ability, so we’ll have to wait what the Golden Knights decide to do.

Shea TheodoreD Shea Theodore – For all the fanfar Neal and Marc-Andre Fleury received when they were selected in the expansion draft, the real jewel of the process was Theodore. The Anaheim Ducks were willing to give him up to see Clayton Stoner taken off their hands, mostly because of the pipeline of young defense talent the team has built. Make no mistake, Theodore isn’t a failed prospect. His potential is still immense, and at 22-years old he could quickly become the Golden Knights’ best defenseman and remain that way for a long time.

While generally the Golden Knights went after draft picks and tradeable assets, Theodore stands out as a potential franchise-defining piece. Selected 23rd-overall in 2013, his game has developed from a purely offensive style to a more well-rounded puck mover. He’ll likely never be a shut down option, but could play a role similar to someone like Morgan Rielly or Alex Goligoski blending quick defensive zone outlets with a bit of offensive upside.

Key Storyline: Vegas needs to find a middle ground between showing enough talent and excitement to start building a hardcore fan base, and finishing low enough to capitalize on their 2018 draft picks. They have accumulated several picks in 2019 and 2020, but next year’s draft—which projects to be one of the deeper groups in several years—is the most important one right now. After adding an impressive group of young talent in Cody Glass, Nick Suzuki, Erik Brannstrom and Nicolas Hague this year, another top-five pick could create a core that will allow them to compete sooner than many think.

That’s not to say the team shouldn’t be looking to win, but when the trade deadline rolls around a fire sale should be in order basically regardless of their position in the standings. Neal, Marchessault, and others like Colin Miller and Brayden McNabb will likely fetch hefty asking prices if Vegas is willing to deal, only adding to their prospect pool in the coming years. By pumping these assets full of easy zone starts and powerplay time, they could get an even better return on investment.

Uncertainty Surrounding Nate Schmidt Injury

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Few players have received as much attention this off-season as new Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt. The up-and-coming blue liner was selected by the NHL’s newest club in the Expansion Draft after a pair of strong seasons with the Washington Capitals. Then, before even playing a game with the Knights, the restricted free agent and his new team went to salary arbitration, where Schmidt was the only player this off-season to actually receive a reward from the arbitrator after a hearing. Vegas signed Schmidt to the two-year, $4.45MM deal that had been awarded and it appeared the two sides were all set for the 2017-18 season, with Schmidt prepared to play a major role on defense.

However, things have changed in an unexpected way. Back in mid-August, it was announced that Schmidt was unable to attend a fan event in Montana due to an injury. It was later revealed that Schmidt suffered an ankle injury while training, but no other details were offered. Weeks later, there has been no update on Schmidt’s condition with training camp just around the corner. Sin Bin inquired about the status of Schmidt’s injury today and, again, received no feedback. A team representative simply stated that “there is no update”.

At this point, some worry by fans has become warranted. Although the Knights still roster ten other NHL-caliber defenseman, Schmidt was slated to battle for a top pairing role and his absence would make the start of Vegas’ inaugural season much more difficult. While there’s just as little evidence to support any thought that he might miss time as there is about the injury itself, the lack of information coming from the team is cause for concern. Keep an eye out for updates on the Knights’ promising young rearguard as the season quickly approaches.

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