3 issues for Golden Knights to address at training camp

The Golden Knights, dissimilar galore of their NHL counterparts, cognize who they are heading into their 5th grooming camp.

There’s nary wondering however they acceptable into the league’s pecking bid oregon what their expectations should be. They person a premier roster, are seen arsenic the apical squad successful the Pacific Division and tin beryllium considered one of the Stanley Cup favorites.

That doesn’t mean the Knights don’t person things to observe erstwhile they commencement practicing. Here are 3 areas for the squad to code entering grooming campy arsenic it tries to find a mode to triumph its archetypal championship:

1. The powerfulness play

The Knights’ show connected the powerfulness play past postseason — 4-for-43, including 0-for-15 successful the semifinals against Montreal — wasn’t bully capable to triumph a Stanley Cup.

Champions Tampa Bay had 22 power-play goals successful the playoffs, by contrast, and Montreal had 10 arsenic the runners-up. Owner Bill Foley himself said the Knights person “got to bash amended there.”

How they bash that remains to beryllium seen. Trade acquisition Evgenii Dadonov should springiness the squad different limb if helium returns to form. He lone had 1 power-play extremity successful Ottawa past twelvemonth but had seven, 9 and six the 3 seasons prior.

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo could besides springiness the Knights a boost if helium looks much comfy successful his 2nd twelvemonth with the team. Pietrangelo has had 10 oregon much power-play assists 8 times successful his career, yet lone had 4 past season.

The Knights could besides set their setup and strategy since their power-play unit volition not look excessively antithetic from a twelvemonth ago. The squad needs to execute better, and campy should supply the archetypal clues arsenic to however it plans to bash that.

2. Depth astatine center

The Knights’ deficiency of options up the mediate was exposed successful the NHL semifinals erstwhile vocation winger Alex Tuch started 2 games betwixt near helping Max Pacioretty and close helping Mark Stone.

The squad had 2 beardown top-six centers — William Karlsson and Chandler Stephenson — but nary 1 who could reliably capable successful if either was unavailable. The Knights outscored opponents 44-19 with Stephenson, Pacioretty and Stone connected the crystal unneurotic betwixt the regular play and postseason, and were outscored 7-4 with anyone other astatine halfway betwixt the 2 wings.

It’s unclear however overmuch has changed entering camp. The Knights brought successful center Nolan Patrick, the 2nd prime successful the 2017 draft, successful speech for halfway Cody Glass, the sixth wide prime successful 2017 who didn’t flash successful constricted opportunities successful the lineup.

Patrick has the size, skating and accomplishment to excel astatine center, but injuries person kept him from fulfilling his immense potential. The 22-year-old scored 61 points successful 145 games his archetypal 2 seasons, missed each of 2019-20 and had lone 9 points past year. It’s unclear what the Knights should expect from him.

Another enactment could beryllium top imaginable Peyton Krebs, the 17th prime successful 2019. Krebs tin play each 3 guardant positions but was astatine halfway for the archetypal 3 games of his NHL career. The 20-year-old has a accidental to instrumentality determination due to the fact that of his skating and smarts and volition person a accidental to amusement his readiness successful camp.

3. The guardant lines

Dadonov’s summation led wide manager Kelly McCrimmon to accidental he believes the Knights’ apical 9 forwards are the champion they’ve had.

Now manager Pete DeBoer volition person to determine however helium wants to usage them.

He could play it harmless with Tuch sidelined aft enarthrosis country and plug Dadonov into his spot connected the 3rd line. Or DeBoer could get originative and displacement his apical six around, which helium didn’t bash overmuch of past season.

Dadonov, Patrick and the re-signed Mattias Janmark could easy commencement successful the bottommost six, but each person the imaginable to play higher successful the lineup. Krebs could origin successful with a beardown campy arsenic well.

Those options whitethorn pb to a batch of mixing and matching for the Knights during the preseason arsenic they effort to fig retired which combinations from their heavy guardant radical enactment best.

Contact Ben Gotz astatine bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz connected Twitter.