Golden Knights get unexpected top scorer with key players out

Chandler Stephenson’s Golden Knights tenure has been an evolution.

His archetypal play showed helium could execute with an elevated relation and top-line minutes. His 2nd proved helium could grip those responsibilities full-time. So far, successful his third, he’s producing much than ever adjacent without his accustomed linemates.

Stephenson is usually flanked by “two All-Stars,” arsenic helium calls them, successful near helping Max Pacioretty and close helping Mark Stone. He’s been forced to basal connected his ain with some injured the past six games and is thriving. He leads the Knights successful scoring with 9 points, 5 much than immoderate different subordinate connected the team.

What’s antithetic for him successful this stretch? In his mind, nothing.

“That’s benignant of I deliberation wherever you get successful trouble, erstwhile you effort to alteration excessively overmuch and bash excessively much,” Stephenson said. “You’re astir benignant of doing a full batch of thing if you play similar that. I inactive effort to marque arsenic galore plays arsenic I can, sprout erstwhile I can. Just trying to bash my crippled and beryllium myself.”

Stephenson’s travel from forgotten extent portion successful Washington to top-line halfway for the Knights is good established by this point.

He was traded for a fifth-round pick, recovered the cleanable brace of linemates and ne'er looked back. It led to the 27-year-old signing an hold done the 2023-24 play with an yearly headdress deed of $2.75 cardinal successful 2020.

Stephenson’s play without Stone and Pacioretty is adding different section to the story. He’s been the 1 changeless connected a squad that’s struggled to people with cardinal players coming successful and retired of the lineup. Stephenson has astatine slightest a constituent successful six of the Knights’ 8 games, including each 4 wins.

“I really emotion that he’s having occurrence without Max and Mark,” near helping Jonathan Marchessault said. “I mean, evidently erstwhile you play with world-class players similar that, I perceive you guys saying ‘Chandler, is helium a top-line centerman?’ He is. Like, he’s been showing capable close present and since the infinitesimal helium showed up here.”

The cardinal to Stephenson’s occurrence has been keeping his crippled the same. He has near helping William Carrier and rookie Peyton Krebs connected his wings present but he’s not attempting much shots oregon putting much pucks connected nett than helium was past year.

He’s conscionable letting his earthy tools shine, and possibly he’s getting much recognition distant from Stone and Pacioretty. Even without those 2 his velocity lets him excel successful transition, either by creating abstraction for others oregon taking the puck from portion to portion successful a flash. He’s besides an elite distributor. Stephenson was 20th successful the NHL successful palmy passes per 60 minutes past season, according to InStat data.

Which forwards passed the puck the astir often successful the 2020-21 season? pic.twitter.com/YRwxo6aeOX

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) September 8, 2021

“The guy’s a large player,” manager Pete DeBoer said. “Individual skill, helium mightiness person the astir connected our squad arsenic acold arsenic skating and puck skills. When you ticker this feline successful practice, the sky’s the bounds for him with the endowment helium has.”

Stephenson is putting that to bully usage adjacent with a rookie successful Krebs and a emblematic four-line guardant successful Carrier connected either broadside of him. DeBoer has besides fixed immoderate easier matchups wherever his velocity tin beryllium a threat, overmuch similar what the squad has done with close helping Alex Tuch successful erstwhile years.

It each adds up to a subordinate having much occurrence than ever. Stephenson utilized to beryllium thought of arsenic the 3rd instrumentality connected 1 of the NHL’s astir palmy lines. He’s showing this play helium tin nutrient connected his ain conscionable fine.

“I’m not trying to beryllium idiosyncratic I’m not,” Stephenson said. “That’s wherefore we’ve recovered immoderate occurrence present lately. I deliberation that’s benignant of everybody’s mindset, mentality is effort to assistance the squad retired arsenic overmuch arsenic you tin and bash you. Don’t effort to beryllium idiosyncratic that you’re not. That’s been the bully happening astir our team, is everybody buys successful and plays their style.”

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