Follow @VGK_Buzz It has been an up-and-down camp thus far for a few of the Vegas Golden Knights’ prospects on defense. Jimmy Schuldt and Nic Hague, the two original odds-on favorites to make the NHL club, have experienced their fair share of struggles. To this point, they have been outplayed by fellow competitors Zach Whitecloud and Dylan Coghlan through the team’s first five preseason games. Something desperately needed to change for Schuldt and Hague because they were in real danger of being passed up by one or both of Coghlan and Whitecloud.
On Thursday, the Golden Knights cut the battle down from five to four men when they assigned Coghlan to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, just a few days into the Wolves’ own training camp. Just a day prior, Whitecloud sustained an injury during the team’s fifth preseason game against the Colorado Avalanche. Whitecloud missed the entirety of the third period and his status is pegged as week-to-week. With three healthy competitors left, it is now the Nic Hague show.
Between he and Schuldt, Hague has been the better of the two defensemen throughout camp. It’s no secret that every defenseman had a forgettable game on Wednesday, but Jake Bischoff - the least sexy pick of the defensemen – did what he does best and was simply reliable. Despite the comfort level attached to Bischoff, Hague brings the same skill set in his own zone and has far more upside, offensively and in transition. In an interesting twist to the competition, neither Hague, Schuldt, nor Bischoff were in the lineup for Friday evening’s game against the LA Kings. It’s quite possible that the roster decision has already been made or the team is rolling with Nick Holden as a lineup regular.
Hague has been paired with Nate Schmidt for most of camp and the preseason and the two have started to build a solid rapport with one another. His usage throughout camp was that of a guy who was shaping up to make the team. His absence from and Holden’s inclusion in the Friday lineup is a bit of a head-scratcher. If this lineup remains for Sunday’s preseason finale against the San Jose Sharks, it’s not looking good for the youngsters. Or could it be that the spot is Whitecloud’s when he gets healthy?
It’s hard to imagine Hague getting sent back to the AHL. His size, two-way ability, and booming slap shot are valuable attributes to add to a team’s defense corps. A third pair of Deryk Engelland and Holden is far from ideal, which necessitates the addition of Hague to the regular season lineup. While he hasn’t popped often, he is sound in all three zones. He won’t be the best player on the ice nightly, but he can certainly add value without the fear of blown assignments and slow-footedness. He’s an upgrade over two returning vets and familiarity should not get in the way of his NHL call-up.
If he’s in the lineup against the Sharks, that could be the real dress rehearsal for the boys in grey and gold. They open the season on Wednesday, October 2nd with their first of two games against those Sharks and shouldn’t be trotting out a practice squad. If he is not going to be a fixture in the regular season lineup, the team will indeed send him back to Chicago. There, he would form a formidable first pair with Coghlan. Starting the season in “the A… wouldn’t be horrible for Hague, as a developing player, but it sure would be a hit to his confidence. From the start of camp, he has had the demeanor of a man making the team, and anything less would be a disappointment.
Following a loss to the Kings on Friday evening, many had questions about the lack of young defensemen in the lineup, in a dress rehearsal-type game. Then-General Manager George McPhee made it clear that this is the season a rookie joins the Vegas blue line. Did the plan morph into a Holden-Engelland third pair? Did the loss of Whitecloud change the club’s plans? Head Coach Gerard Gallant disclosed after the game that, “I wanted to play a good part of our team tonight. Not all of it, but a good part of it. Next game we’re gonna see what we’re gonna do and some of those kids (rookie defensemen) might play the next game.… It’s do-or-die time for Hague and Schuldt and Sunday’s preseason game/regular season warm-up against the Sharks, could be the most important sixty minutes of their season.
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