Who's stepping up for Nate Schmidt, suspended for 20 regular season games? Shea Theodore, sitting at home because of a contract dispute?
How to shore up the blueline in the absence of their two most-used blueliners last season is the big question for the Golden Knights as they embark on their Western Conference title defense.
A couple possible answers, one expected, the other unexpected, have emerged in the early days of training camp.
Nick Holden was a UFA, signed perhaps for the bottom pairing, assuming Vegas would lean once again on last year's top-four of Brayden McNabb-Schmidt and Theodore-Deryk Engelland.
Jake Bischoff, who came from the New York Islanders during the expansion draft with their 2017 first-round pick, 2019 second-round pick, and Mikhail Grabovski's contract, has been seemingly forgotten amidst more celebrated blueline prospects Erik Brannstrom, Nicolas Hague, and Zach Whitecloud.
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It's easy to forget that Holden has been used as a top-four defenseman in every season since 2013-14.
"I've heard good things about him," noted Gerard Gallant. "Everybody I've talked to says you usually think he's a 5-6 defenseman, but he always plays more minutes than that. He always plays a bigger role."
In the first three days of training camp, including tonight's 7-2 exhibition win over the Arizona Coyotes, Holden has skated with Colin Miller. While it's early, that has the look of a possible opening night pairing.
For the left-handed Holden, this is the first time in a couple years that he's manned his strong side.
"I'm comfortable playing both sides," said Holden.
However, a scout told me that Holden prefers playing his off side. While Holden wouldn't go so far as stating a preference, he did mention an underrated advantage of lining up on his off side.
"It's mostly just defensively that it's a little bit better, being on the right side," said Holden. "Your stick's outside so you can keep guys out a bit farther. When they're coming down on you, you can keep them out, have a longer stick."
I wrote an
extensive scouting report of Holden two weeks ago, and this clip demonstrates Holden's point.
View post on imgur.com
As Adrian Kempe (9) bears down on Holden (55), notice the defender's natural, right-handed grip of the top of his stick. Already 6'4", this expands Holden's defensive radius -- if Holden was skating on his strong side, he would have to reach cross-body with his stick. This extra reach helps Holden angle the speedy Swede into the corner and also cuts off the path behind the net.
Make no mistake, Holden is widely regarded as a solid defender -- he's averaged 1:56/game on the penalty kill from 2013-18. This, along with some offense -- he's scored double-digit goals twice -- will make him a sure bet to shoulder some of Schmidt and Theodore's minutes.
While this might lead to overexposure, the Golden Knights don't have much choice as of now.
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Chicago Wolves GM Wendell Young has been raving about Bischoff.
"He was our most consistent defenseman last year," said Young.
Young
compared the 24-year-old to Vince Dunn in January. Dunn will push for top-four minutes with the Blues this season.
Certain guys you look at, you know they're going to play in the NHL. He's the guy after every game that we don't talk about because he did everything right. Bisch just does his job.
He does all the outlet passes. He puts it where the guy can take the pass. Some guys just put it in an area. He gives it to the guy. If you can make that outlet pass down here, you can do it up top. You're going to be up there for a long time.
Handles the puck well.
He can be a top-four guy. I see him very much like Vince Dunn.
He's going to get a chance to play in the NHL, and he's going to end up staying.
While Bischoff may not own Dunn's offensive ceiling, he certainly impressed Gallant tonight, finishing second among Golden Knights' defensemen in usage (22:35), behind his partner Hague (26:49).
That wasn't the plan, according to Gallant, but defensive coach Ryan McGill appeared to reward Hague and Bischoff for a job well done.
While he isn't flashy, Bischoff is solid in all facets.
"I don't have any huge strength in my game," he acknowledged. "And maybe not a huge weakness either."
Bischoff doesn't possess Brannstrom's skating, Hague's shot, or Whitecloud and Griffin Reinhart's NHL experience, but at this point, he has as good a chance as any of them to crack the Vegas opening night roster.
Perhaps being in the final season of his entry-level contract will also be a motivating factor.
"I don't really want to think about that. I just want to go out and play hockey," said Bischoff. "Whatever happens, happens. That's going to be my mindset."
Young, however, expects Bischoff to make his NHL debut sooner rather than later, "He should get some games this year."
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