Lawless and Order

The silly season is upon us in the NHL. The moment when GMs make decisions about their rosters which can affect the franchise for years to come. It's trade deadline (Feb. 26) time and the rumors are already frantic. Who is all in? Who is buying? Who is selling? What teams are on which players' no trade list? Which player has quietly asked for a trade? Which has done so with less subtley?
In Vegas, GM George McPhee is steadily signing players and now has just three pending UFAs on his roster:
James Neal
, Luca Sbisa and David Perron.

McPhee has inked leading scorer
Jonathan Marchessault
as well as defensemen
Deryk Engelland
and Jon Merrill in the last two weeks.
McPhee's plans for the trade deadline remain known only to him and his inner circle. Where teams sit in the standings as the deadline approaches plays a role in what every GM does with his roster. McPhee isn't different in this regard and it's likely he has a number of scenarios on a greaseboard somewhere. His pro scouts will continue to prepare, filing reports on players and prospects of the other 30 NHL clubs. Will McPhee be a buyer or a seller? Or will he stand pat? Again, all this depends on how his team responds as the second half of the season begins.
It's impossible to ignore the dynamics which have been foisted upon McPhee by the results produced by his players. They sit first in the Western Conference by two points and have a seven-point lead in the Pacific Division. To date, it's a remarkable story. McPhee, however, is an experienced GM and unlikely to have his head turned by half a season of hockey. The future of the franchise still depends on the amassing of talented players. McPhee isn't interested in just one playoff run - he wants to build a perennial contender with depth throughout his organization.
"It's what we were hoping to have in terms of being competitive. They work really hard. They're coachable. It feels like a team. [Coach Gerard Gallant has] done a good job of making it a team," said McPhee in a recent interview with NHL.com.
"And we're in the hunt for a playoff spot. We've said all along that if we're in the hunt, we're going to stay in the hunt, and if we're not in the hunt at the deadline, we'll do what teams that aren't in the hunt do. But we think it's very healthy for the franchise and for Las Vegas to be a competitive club, and we want to stay in the hunt."
Can he achieve both? Protecting the future while enhancing the present? That was his plan for the expansion draft and he executed on it. McPhee has cap space and is a creative thinker.
Without further delay, here is the latest installment of our semi-regular trip around the VGK globe.
1. McPhee signed both Engelland and Merrill to extensions this week. One year for Engelland at $1.5 million and two years for Merrill with an AAV of $1.375 million. Depth on the blueline is key in the NHL. The old saying is hockey is a team needs 10 NHL caliber D to get through a season and a playoff run. Vegas now has seven of the team's current NHL D under team control for next season. Two of those players, Colin Miller and Shea Theodore are pending RFAs.
The team potentially has $11.45 million coming off the blueline books for next season (Clayton Stoner, Luca Sbisa and Jason Garrison are all pending UFAs). So, McPhee has lots of cap flexibility to round out that position.
2. On the remaining UFAs and RFAs, McPhee as always, is silent. He talks about contracts only when they are done. Until then, expect nothing from the Golden Knights GM.
3. Merrill has provided the Golden Knights with depth on the blueline and been effective when called upon. The price was right for the team and the player picked up some security while he can work on his game. Merrill is on the road with the team while dealing with an injury but our Alyssa Girardi caught up with him at City National Arena.
VGK: What was your reaction when George approached you about the extension?
JM: It was exciting, obviously. This has been an incredible first year for this organization. Just to have the opportunity to be a part of this team, this city and this organization for a couple more years is exciting. I couldn't wait to go and sign it.
VGK: How do you like playing for Gerard Gallant so far?
JM: It's awesome. He's a players coach. He lets us play and he understands what it's like to be an NHL hockey player. He's done a great job with this team and we're all really thankful.
VGK: What is it about Vegas that you feel makes it such a good fit for you and your family?
JM: It's a great place for us to live. It's quiet and it's easy to get around. People have been so welcoming and we've made some good friends already just in our neighborhood. The families on the team are great.
VGK: Did you view coming here this season as a fresh start?
JM: Definitely. All of us are with a brand new organization and we're starting on a clean slate. There's a lot of opportunities. I definitely view it as a fresh start.
VGK: How do you like being on this team?
JM: I love it. It's so much fun to play in front of our fans at T-Mobile. It's incredible and the facilities that they've put up for us, we're treated like rock stars here. I really couldn't ask for much more as a hockey player.
VGK: What do you think is your next step as a player?
JM: There's a lot of room for growth in my game. I think I can really develop the offensive side of my game and continue to develop the defensive side as well. I'd love to be an every night guy and contribute and really be a part of this team.

4. Engelland is 35 and on pace to shatter his best statistical season in the NHL. Averaging 19:38 minutes per game, a full four minutes above his career average, Engelland already has three goals and 13 assists. His career best numbers, six goals and 17 points are in danger of falling and he's opened a lot of eyes.

A little story from this past summer. Engelland was holding captain's practices prior to training camp opening with a handful of pros and college players spending the summer in Vegas. On one morning he rushed the puck and scored a goal. After a silly reporter (read me) asked him about a "rare offensive foray," and Engelland gently bristled. "If you can't skate you can't play in today's game. And you have to join the rush when you have the opportunity. There's no place in the league for guys that can't take advantage of open ice," he remarked.
Half a season later and watching him play and practice on a daily basis and two things stick out about Engelland - he's a much better skater than he gets credit for and his elite conditioning allows him to move as well in the final minutes of a game as the first shift of the first period.
Engelland has been working with a skating instructor in the off-season for the last six years and he's become a more efficient skater. He's also invested hugely in himself in terms of conditioning.
Engelland reads the play well and is a smart defender. He understands the geometry of the game and puts his body in the right places.
On the leadership meter, Engelland redlines. He's a selfless player and person. He embodies the best of the NHL.
5. Jonathan Marchessault (41), William Karlsson (37) and Reilly Smith (36) have combined for 114 points this season lead the NHL in 5v5 goals as a line with 28. They're also third in league as a line with a plus 13 goal differential.

6. Vegas has killed 27 straight penalties.
   7. The power play has seen its struggles of late and is one-for-its-last-27. That's a tough run. But in a 1-0 loss to Nashville on Tuesday, the group did everything but score with the man advantage. They won puck battles, moved the puck well and were created chances.
   8. Vegas is fifth in the league in goals for at 145 and sixth in goals against at 117.
   9. Vegas is third in the league in goal differential at plus 28.
   10. Vegas has moved into the middle third in the NHL in penalty kill at 82 percent which is 13th best in the NHL. The power play is ranked 24th in the NHL at 17 percent.