Player Profiles will be a piece that I complete periodically throughout the season. This series will be used to help tell the story and career of each current Golden Knight. These will be done in ascending jersey number order, starting with #3 Brayden McNabb and ending with #92 Tomas Nosek.
Hailing from Davidson, Saskatchewan, Brayden McNabb is one of the 15 Canadian players on the Vegas Golden Knights roster. McNabb is known primarily as a stay-at-home defenseman, who can certainly play the physical game. McNabb's hip checks to opposing forwards entering his defensive zone have been in their fair share of highlight reels.
Brayden McNabb Hip Check on Brock Boeser, USA Today Sports
McNabb's NHL career started out in Buffalo as a member of the Sabres, in 2011. He appeared in 25 games, recording 1 goal and 7 assists. In his second season, McNabb appeared in just 12 NHL games, before he was traded to the Los Angeles Kings (who went on to win the Stanley Cup). Once in the Kings' system, McNabb finished the season in the AHL with the Manchester Monarchs. In the offseason, following their Stanley Cup win, the Kings chose to sign their new RFA defenseman to a two-year contract extension, making him a full-time NHLer in the 2014-15 season.
McNabb's first season as a King was a success. He appeared in 71 games, sporting a line of 2 goals, 22 assists, a +/- of 11, 56 blocked shots, and a whopping 175 hits. McNabb continued to establish himself as a physical presence on the Kings blue line the following season, blocking 92 shots and recording 206 hits in 81 games. McNabb did enough to earn a second contract with LA and they inked him to another two-year deal. McNabb would only play one of those seasons out with the Kings, as he was selected by the Golden Knights in the 2017 Expansion Draft.
Brayden McNabb at 2017 Expansion Draft, USA Today Sports
McNabb solidified his spot on the Vegas defense corps with his strongest season to date. For the 2017-18 season, McNabb compiled personal bests of 5 goals, a +/- of 26, a 5.7 shooting percentage, 1,532 minutes played, 176 blocked shots, and 225 hits. He was a steady presence for the Golden Knights in their inaugural/Western Conference Championship season. McNabb even chipped in two goals during the playoff run, one of which swept his former Kings teammates from the playoffs, as Vegas won that game 1-0.
This season, he has continued to play an important role for the Golden Knights. He is regularly used on the penalty kill and is a strong defensive presence on the unit. McNabb has a nose for loose pucks, is strong in board battles, and works well clearing the zone. Although his puck skills won't wow talent scouts, McNabb does a good job of finding the correct outlet passes, without forcing plays into the opposition's control.
Following the suspension to Nate Schmidt, McNabb was reunited with his 2017 defense partner, representing the top pairing for the Golden Knights. During most of Schmidt's absence, McNabb was paired with Colin Miller, another defenseman similar to Schmidt. Both Schmidt and Miller are puck-movers with a nose for the offensive side of game, a perfect compliment to the physical, defensive zone strengths of McNabb.
Since his debut as a full-time NHL player, McNabb has always posted positive play-driving numbers, a surprising revelation for a guy known as a stay-at-home defenseman.
Brayden McNabb's Corsi For %: 2014-15: 56.8%, 3.8 Rel - LA 2015-16: 58.0%, 2.7 Rel - LA 2016-17: 60.1%, 5.6 Rel - LA 2017-18: 51.0%, -0.3 Rel - VGK 2018-19: 50.9%, -6.0 Rel - VGK
Until his time with Vegas, McNabb's Corsi numbers were all positive (over 50%) and he was well above the standard set by the rest of the team (positive Corsi Rel numbers). In Vegas, playing on a team full of puck movers and fast skaters, his Corsi Rel has dipped, due to the high marks put up across the board in Vegas. In his first season in Vegas, McNabb took 171 defensive zone starts versus 185 offensive zone starts, hinting at his defensive zone competence. Currently this season, he has started shifts in his own zone 16 more times than on the attack (90 OZ vs 106 DZ shift starts).
Brayden McNabb is, by far, the best defensive-defenseman on the Vegas Golden Knights. Nate Schmidt is the de-facto number one defenseman on the team, as he flashes in the offensive side of the game while holding his own in his own zone, but McNabb's presence on that pair helps facilitate the strengths of Nate's game.
Having signed him to a very team-friendly contract last season, the Golden Knights locked McNabb up through the 2021-22 season at a mere $2.5 million AAV. General Manager George McPhee clearly sees McNabb as part of the defensive core, as he is one of four defensemen secured through 2022, with Schmidt, Miller, and the youngster Shea Theodore. Vegas will be steady on the blue line for years to come, with McNabb filling a big role on their defense. Vegas will continue to rely on this core four, as the younger d-men get closer to cracking the NHL squad. It would be hard to imagine another VGK contract for McNabb with the likes of Erik Brannstrom, Nic Hauge, and Jake Bischoff waiting in the wings, but until then, McNabb will continue to see first pair minutes for the Golden Knights and there is nothing to suggest that those minutes are unwarranted.
Our next Player Profile will be on another defenseman, #5 Deryk Engelland. Be on the lookout for that and additional game coverage on your Vegas Golden Knights!
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