Changes are in full swing after trade deadline. Speculation looms with added impact of NHL's Las Vegas Golden Knights.
While the trade deadline is almost a national holiday for some it also requires many sleepless night for NHL staff, NHL Teams and Players. Next, the NHL Draft and the wheeling and dealing is already underway.
Utilizing the protected list is new for many teams. Some NHL teams will be making the tough decisions based on salary cap while others are pushing for more talent and depth.
Some players will be promoted from the minor leagues to the NHL by virtue of the expansion while some will find themselves looking to restart their careers.
All teams have the ANALytics in effect. No that is not mistyped. It seems that the past few years have seen the NHL grow into less focus on talent and character and more on statistics. I would gladly argue that it takes a marriage of the three and loads of experience recognizing the attributes needed for the best off ice character and visual ability to see how players are playing away from the puck. Often referred to as Hockey IQ. No doubt the analytics can be done on puck possession and time in zones but what about the many things away from the puck that make impacts on the game? Those are the players that often get lost in the numbers game. Every player and the staff know who they are and priceless is often a moniker used to describe those players.
Picking players is not easy for the Las Vegas Golden Knights either as they are having to get depth players as well as players that will be the cornerstones they build upon. The Malkins, Burns, Ovechkin and even Marchand's of the hockey world are going to be on the coveted protected players list. The role players, like face off gurus and solid defenders may not have the numerics on their side as much but the teams know who they are. Some will not be on protected lists as they are not as coveted by the analytics departments but priceless on and off the ice. Some minor league players will be called upon to be part of the Las Vegas Golden Knights while others will be looking to finally crack the lineup of their respective teams since a sprinkling of players exposed will leave openings.
Keep in mind that GM-GM, George McPhee is a Hobey Baker winner and was the epitome of a talented role player during his NHL playing days. Not the guy that was going to be at the top of the scoring but never afraid to jump into the fray. He even helped create a few of them as his passion and character can not be questioned by anyone. This is also the same GM that visited the Chicago Blackhawks locker room to not so eloquently show his displeasure with what he deemed as thuggery by the Blackhawks upon his Washington Capitals. He had taken the reigns of the Washington Capitals and was given the task of rebuilding a team with a very hands on ownership. It was a learning curve for all but Mr. McPhee prevailed and he earned every bump and bruise along the way. A soft spoken man in most respects, he is very much a student of the game and was always glad to speak with the many youth hockey teams in and around the Washington, D.C. Beltway. He took on some pretty harsh criticisms in a market that loves NFL Football first.
GM-GM had his hands full and assembled a great team to assist in getting the Capitals back to form and returning to the perennial playoff team they once were. It is no coincidence that some of the finest talent available started looking toward the Capitals as a new home. Now with the Vegas Golden Knights he must build an entire organization from scratch and with nothing in the pipeline for depth. No doubt he will look cool as a cucumber but do not mistake it for arrogance or cockiness. Under that cool facade it will look like a ducks feet under water. Constantly moving and with purpose.
Players contracts and even playing careers are in play and along with that come the impact on families and fans. Yes, this makes a big impact past the numbers and sponsorships that fuel the NHL. Make no mistake that each team is impacted in some way. Along with that come the families that will be packing up for a new city. Draft Day 2017 could read like a novel and the journalists and announcers will be penning many of the feel good stories along with a few head scratchers. One team is added into the mix and your normal Draft Day becomes a deeper view into the minds of GM's. Watching how it plays out as all those handshake deals and nudges under the table become reality.
Will the next person wearing a NHL Vegas Golden Knights jersey be you or someone you know?
