Looking To The 2020-21 Season

So we're going to play hockey. Awesome. Incredible. Thank goodness.
The plan is on paper. Now, it's about execution. And it won't be easy. Or cheap.
Unfortunately when the NHL season begins, a lot of the arenas will be empty or near empty. We're in the midst of a pandemic. This isn't going to be normal. At least not to start. Hopefully the arrival of vaccines will give this season a chance to at some point have fans in buildings enjoying the best in-arena experience in all of sport.

This summer, the NHL and NHLPA put safety first for players and staff and held a Stanley Cup tournament without one positive COVID test. But that was in a bubble. The plan we've seen so far calls for teams to travel and play in one another's building. Different hotels, buses, charter airplanes, dressing rooms and banquet facilities are all new variables. The challenge to keep COVID-19 out of the NHL will be enormous. But the league and NHLPA proved this past summer they can work together and most importantly the players made safety a priority. Testing, sanitizing and masking will be part of a concerted effort with buy-in from all levels across the NHL.
What happens and how well the league is able to control transmission remains to be seen. The NHL has proven to be nimble and to have backup plan upon backup plan. Playing in hubs isn't part of the plan rolled out but no doubt it's a fallback option. In Canada, where health authorities are less bullish on the idea of having teams travel from city to city and province to province, the prospect of beginning the season in a hub is very real. And that could still happen in the U.S. As we've all come to learn in 2020, the disease has a major say in how, when and where things happen. So prepare to adjust. That's just our world right now.
For VGK fans, the team announced on Monday there will be no spectators in T-Mobile Arena for the opening of the season.
"Under the current guidelines and directives regarding public gatherings set forth by our county and state, we unfortunately can't have fans at our home games through Jan. 15, 2021," said the organization. "However, our goal is to have fans in attendance at some point during the regular season once we are safely able to. We will continue to follow the guidance and recommendations from our local officials on the matter."
The games, however, will be broadcast on TV with Dave Goucher, Shane Hnidy, Daren Millard, Stormy Buonantony, Mike McKenna, Darren Eliot and myself on the broadcast. Dan D'Uva will handle radio play by play and I'll chip in with color commentary.
The Golden Knights through social channels and www.vegasgoldenknights.com will be working to keep fans entertained and informed all season.
Here are a few storylines we think are worth watching:
More DeBoer
Pete DeBoer became the head coach of the Golden Knights in January of last season and led the team to a 15-5-2 regular season record for a .727 points percentage. Vegas reached its second Western Conference Final in its third year as a franchise. GM Kelly McCrimmon reupped goalie Robin Lehner and then signed the most coveted free agent in the market defenseman Alex Pietrangelo. This will be the best team the Golden Knights have iced in team history with and elite goaltending due (Lehner and Marc-Andre Fleury) a superstar forward (Mark Stone) and a pair of top 20 blueliners (Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore).
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Expect some fights this season. Playing 56 games in-division means eight games against the other seven clubs in the division. And then two rounds of playoffs against division opponents. Guys are going to hate each other. And it will boil over. There will be blood.
Two Masks Are Better Than One
The combo of Lehner and Fleury gives Vegas arguably the best tandem in the NHL. This is going to be a story. It was in the playoffs last year and will be again this season. Time, however, has given everyone the opportunity to gain some perspective. The schedule is going to be hectic and loaded with back-to-backs. Lehner is coming off of surgery and no doubt Fleury believes he is a No. 1 and will want to show it. This is a strength. A huge edge over almost the entire league. Drown out the external noise, play them both a lot and win a lot of hockey games. Let the play of the goalies dictate the direction.
Can Glass Break Through?
Cody Glass has the opportunity to earn work at center between Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. Only every other center in the league would want that chance. Glass has done his part in getting bigger, putting on 18 pounds or so of muscle since we last saw him in game action. Glass is smart and competitive. He has the offensive mind to make this line terrific. But he needs to produce and do so consistently. Major storyline for the VGK.
Petro-charged Blueline
Alex Pietrangelo is one of the five best defenseman in the NHL. Put him up there with Victor Hedman, Roman Josi, John Carlson and Seth Jones. These are the five best complete defenders in the NHL. They produce points, suppress opposition possession and can play on both special teams. They have the full game and are elite all over the ice. NHL.com ranks Pietrangelo as the No. 4 defenseman in the NHL and teammate Shea Theodore comes in at No. 14. Pietrangelo changes the Vegas blue line in a number of ways. D coach Ryan McGill can split Pietrangelo and Theodore up and have a dominant defender on the ice for a majority of the game. He can play them together when he needs offence or when he wants to lock down a game.
Scoring, Scoring and More Scoring
It's a common refrain out there among media and fans: Can Vegas score enough to win a Stanley Cup? The answer is yes. This team was among the league's best in a host of shot metrics last season. Did they run dry against Vancouver and Dallas in the playoffs last season? Yes. The team's best offensive players, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty were injured and the organization's most creative center Cody Glass was back in Vegas recovering from surgery. Others need to do more. More players have to go to the net. The power play has to be better. DeBoer didn't ask for personnel change when asked about the lack of scoring but instead pointed to his staff finding ways to teach their players how to score in different ways.
A Surprise in The Lineup
Peyton Krebs is young, inexperienced and still growing. He also has superstar DNA. Look for him to get a chance this season and if he does, it would be a surprise to this space if he is denied. There's something special about Krebs. Surround him with the right players and prepare to be amazed. Keep an eye on defenseman Dylan Coghlan, as well. He's got a cannon and high offensive IQ. Coghlan has improved the defensive side of his game and is pushing for his chance.
Internal Improvement
This roster is filled with players who can be better than they were last season. Veterans like Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson will be looking to have bounce back seasons. Nic Roy, Alex Tuch and Zach Whitecloud can grow their games. And there are prospects pushing. This will be a sprint and with a taxi squad of six players hanging around the active roster the internal competition will be fierce.