Cover Story: The NHL’s back, and the Knights are aiming for the Cup

Breaking

“I think it’s important for a lot of people’s mental health to get of people’s mental health to get back to following something back to following something and have something to plan for and have something to plan for the next day, for families to the next day, for families to watch a game or watch watch a game or watch some type of sport.” some type of sport.” –Robin Lehner–Robin Lehner

the the

THE NHL IS BACK , W I T H N E W

P L A Y O F F A N D S A F E T Y P R O C E D U R E S . W H A T D O E S I T A L L M E A N

FOR THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS ?

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BY JUSTIN EMERSON

We’ve  nally made it. The Vegas Golden Knights are back. ¶ Right now, 24 NHL teams are split up in two Canadian hub cities—Western Conference franchises in Edmonton and Eastern Conference squads in Toronto—playing games for the  rst time in nearly  ve months. ¶ The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the season inde nitely in March, but the NHL and NHL Players’ Association worked hard to create a return-to-play format. It’s a lot di erent than what we’re all used to, so don’t fret if you’re feeling lost right now. ¶ We’ve got answers to the questions you might have, and how it all a ects the Vegas Golden Knights.

■ HOW WILL THIS WORK?

Give it two weeks, and everything will look similar to the traditional playo setup, with eight teams in each conference advancing through best-of-seven series before two teams square o in the Stanley Cup Final.

Apart from the centralized locations and the games being played without fans, the only other di erence from the traditional playo format is a “qualifying round.” Because the season paused after teams had played about 70 of their scheduled 82 games (the Golden Knights made it through 71), the NHL opened the restart to all clubs that had any realistic shot at reaching the postseason. That meant eight extra teams—four each from the Western and Eastern conferences.

To accommodate them, the NHL has added what amounts to a play-in round to its postseason. Eight teams in each conference will try to win a best-of- ve series its postseason. Eight teams in each conference will try to win a best-of- ve series to advance to the conference quarter nals, with the top four Western and Eastern to advance to the conference quarter nals, with the top four Western and Eastern teams receiving a bye.

The Golden Knights are among the teams exempt from that qualThe Golden Knights are among the teams exempt from that qualifying round. They’ll instead play a round robin against the other ifying round. They’ll instead play a round robin against the other top three teams in the West—the Dallas Stars (August 3), St. top three teams in the West—the Dallas Stars (August 3), St.

Louis Blues (August 6) and Colorado Avalanche (August Louis Blues (August 6) and Colorado Avalanche (August 8)—to determine seeding. Two points will be awarded 8)—to determine seeding. Two points will be awarded for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, for a win, one point for an overtime or shootout loss, and those results could prove important. The NHL and those results could prove important. The NHL will reseed for every round this postseason, so No. will reseed for every round this postseason, so No. 1 would seemingly have a clearer path to the  nal 1 would seemingly have a clearer path to the  nal than No. 4 would.

The round-robin games will be played under The round-robin games will be played under regular-season overtime rules—a  ve-minute regular-season overtime rules—a  ve-minute extra period followed by a shootout—but extra period followed by a shootout—but all other games will employ the standard all other games will employ the standard playo format: 20-minute overtimes and no playo format: 20-minute overtimes and no shootouts.

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■ WILL ANY OTHER ON-ICE RULES BE DIFFERENT?

Nope. Expect the same physicality and intensity of a typical NHL postseason.

■ WILL ALL GAMES BE PLAYED IN EDMONTON AND TORONTO?

Initially, then Edmonton will become the lone site once it’s down to four  nal teams, hosting both conference  nals and the Stanley Cup Final.

The Western Conference team that reaches the championship series will have lived in Edmonton for nearly three months by the time the competition wraps up in mid-October.

“Maybe an adult coloring book. I’ve been doing so much coloring over the break. It’s a skill of mine I’m going to have to stay on top of.” –Jon Merrill, on what he’s bringing to the Edmonton hub

■ THE OILERS AND MAPLE LEAFS ARE IN THE POSTSEASON, SO WON’T THEY HAVE A HOME-ICE ADVANTAGE?

They’ll be playing at home, but it’s uncertain whether that will provide an advantage, considering games will be played without fans in the arenas … at least initially.

The NHL hasn’t ruled out allowing some fans in for later rounds, but that will depend on how the pandemic progresses in the weeks ahead.

(John Locher/AP Photo)

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(David Becker/AP Photo)

■ WHAT SAFETY PROCEDURES ARE IN PLACE?

A lot. The NHL posted a 28-page document ■ A positive test will send a player to quardetailing protocols and scenarios on its webantine in his hotel room until he’s deemed safe site, and here are some key points: to return, which involves multiple negative ■ Teams are permitted a total of 52 persontests and an isolation period. nel, including 31 players plus coaches and ■ The NHL or Players’ Association can front o ce and support sta . request that the playo s be halted if either ■ Players will live alone for at least the  rst side believes “commencement or continuathree rounds. The hope is that their families tion of play would likely create a material risk can join the hub for the conference  nals. to player health and safety and/or jeopardize ■ Players are tested for coronavirus nightly, the integrity of the competition.” There’s no with results expected to be available the folspeci c number of positive tests that would lowing morning. trigger an automatic stoppage.

VGK SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 30

Exhibition vs. Arizona, 7 p.m. (NHL Network/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

“It’s easy to sit on the couch when you’re home 24/7 and snack on things and kind of get carried away. So what I incorporated was ordering Cold Stone on Wednesdays and Sundays only. I tried to stick to that as much as possible.” –Zach Whitecloud

Monday, August 3

Round robin vs. Dallas, 3 p.m. (AT&T SportsNet/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

■ CAN THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS WIN THE STANLEY CUP? Absolutely. By the odds, they actually have the best chance: The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook lists Vegas at 6-to-1 to win it all. That makes sense. When the season paused, the Golden Knights were among the hottest teams in the league, having won 11 of their previous 13 games, catapulting to the top of the Paci c Division. Vegas is a complete team, with one of the best top-six forward groups in the NHL led by Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, a tremendous goaltending duo in MarcAndré Fleury and Robin Lehner, and an emerging star on the blue line, Shea Theodore. Still, it’s important to remember that anything can happen in the wild world of the NHL Playo s. The Knights were among last year’s favorites and failed to advance past the  rst round. But look over the roster and it’s apparent Vegas is a primary contender to win the most unorthodox Stanley Cup playo s of all time.

(Jeff Roberson/AP Photo)

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Thursday, August 6

Round robin vs. St. Louis, time TBD (AT&T SportsNet/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

Saturday, August 8

Round robin vs. Colorado, time TBD (AT&T SportsNet/ 98.9-FM & 1340-AM)

SHEA HEY!

The Golden Knights’ rising defensive star refl ects on an emotional, enormous year

BY CASE KEEFER

When the NHL put its season on inde nite hiatus and instructed players to selfquarantine in mid-March, Shea Theodore faced an important decision—retreat to his Vancouver condo or lock down in his suburban Vegas home.

The Golden Knights defenseman discussed the options with his girlfriend, and it didn’t take them long to come to a decision. They were staying. “I’ve got a big yard for the dog to run around,” Theodore says. “It’s de nitely a comfortable life here.”

Theodore has lived in the Valley for less than three years, yet he’s already tethered to Las Vegas. He’s one of the increasingly few “Golden Mis ts” remaining on the roster from the team’s memorable  rst-year run to the Stanley Cup Final, and when all is said and done, he’s a solid bet to be the last one standing.

Always seen as an important structural piece of the Golden Knights’ future, the 24-year-old Theodore transcended to something else entirely in 2019-2020. During a regular season that saw Max Pacioretty rack up 66 points in 71 games while earning an All-Star berth and Mark Stone continue to display his unique set of two-way skills, a strong argument could be made that Theodore was the Golden Knights’ single most valuable player.

Continued success for Theodore—who spent 158 more minutes on the ice than any of his teammates this season—will be essential for the Knights if they hope to advance deep into the NHL’s 2020 postseason. *****

Before his second season in Las Vegas, Theodore signed a seven-year, $36.4 million contract extension with the Golden Knights. It remains a cherished moment for the British Columbia native. “Signing that long-term extension, that’s all I ever wanted,” Theodore says. “I wanted to be here. I wanted to be that guy for this organization.”

The svelte, 6-foot-1, 183-pound Theodore has always been easygoing and soft-spoken, a walking contradiction to the burly-defenseman, hockeyjock stereotype. Replace the trademark gap in his mouth where his far-right incisor used to hang, and few might even suspect he’s a hockey player. But, he says, his harrowing health scare has led him to become more re ective in the months since.

In May 2019, at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship in Slovakia, Theodore failed a performance-enhancing drug test. It turned out to be a lucky break. He hadn’t taken illicit substances; unbeknownst to him, he had testicular cancer, and his elevated hormone hCG levels had triggered the test result.

Caught early, the lump was removed through a quick procedure, leaving Theodore cancer-free and with enough time to recover for the following season. Still, it was a traumatic experience, Theodore says, one that changed his perspective. “It gave me a di erent outlook for sure.”

Theodore resolved not to let any opportunity pass him by on the ice, and in that objective he has succeeded wildly. Despite a regular season shortened by 11 games, Theodore set career highs in goals (13), assists (33) and points (46). Perhaps the greatest testament to his game is the way he has elevated the play of those around him. E ciency metrics rise for all of Theodore’s teammates when they share ice time with him, especially his defensive-pairing partner.

Most frequently this season, that was Nick Holden, who went from a healthy scratch in the  nal six games of 2018-2019 to a key contributor this year. He and Theodore were a bright spot in what had largely been a trying  rst two months this season, a span that ultimately resulted in the ouster of the franchise’s  rst coach, Gerard Gallant.

Perhaps more than any Golden Knight, Theodore bene tted from the arrival of replacement Peter DeBoer, known for building his attack around o ensive defenseman Brent Burns in San Jose. But DeBoer says he had no master plan to make Theodore a focal point when he took the job. Rather, the young defenseman’s ability dictated it.

“[At] both ends, he’s better than advertised, better than I probably gave him credit for standing on an opposing bench,” DeBoer says. “O ensively, I thought he really took o prior to the pause and was a constant threat when he was on the ice. And defensively, he’s way better than people give him credit for.

“[Plus], he’s still a young player, so he’s obviously adding layers to his game every year.”

DeBoer has turned Theodore into the Golden Knights’ workhorse, often sending him to the ice on every other shift, while increasing his average ice time by 1:30 per game. And Theodore has looked quite capable of keeping up with that increased responsibility. He says fatigue hasn’t been a problem … at least not during games.

“It wouldn’t hit me until an hour or two after the game,” Theodore says, “I’m lying in bed, and I’m like, ‘Holy smokes, my legs are just roasted.’”

DeBoer wasn’t the only Vegas newcomer who had a dramatic e ect on Theodore, he says. Alec Martinez’s arrival at the trade deadline, derided by many given the veteran’s declining stats for Los Angeles, provided Theodore with a new blue line partner. Martinez immediately began producing at a higher clip, and “Marty” also quickly became one of Theodore’s closest friends on the team.

The two FaceTimed almost daily throughout quarantine after Martinez headed back to his home in LA, and now, the two are so tight, their teammates jokingly refer to them in group texts as “Brad and Chad,” a nod to an old meme poking fun at two fraternity brothers.

“Just two meatheads hanging out, that’s kind of our thing,” Theodore laughs. “We’ve just been rolling with it.”

Part of the punch line, of course, stems from how far removed Theodore is from a meathead. He didn’t occupy his lockdown time itching to get back to the nightclub scene or installing kegs of beer at his house.

Mostly, Theodore spent the past several months quietly, with his girlfriend and Brucey, a golden retriever the couple added to their family just before

the season began. Theodore says he’d always wanted a dog growing up, but it was impractical for his family to care for one while constantly traveling to junior hockey events.

After settling down and  nding a home, Theodore longed for a pet—not only for himself, but so his girlfriend could have a companion while he was on the road.

Theodore says he looked at 2020’s unforeseen hockey break as a way to bond with Brucey. On many nights, he’d take his pet on long walks and re-  ect on his experiences with the Golden Knights— and what might still be ahead with them.

“There were de nitely a lot of times I would just look back,” Theodore says. “At this point, I just think you can’t take anything for granted. Just appreciate every day that you’ve got.”

Shea Theodore (Photographs by John Locher and David Becker/AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

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“My girlfriend and my three dogs went back to Canada, so I’ve just been living by myself, getting a little bit bored. I’m excited to get him back in the house.” –Mark Stone, on Peyton Krebs returning to live with him

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Head coach Peter DeBoer talks with the Golden Knights during practice at City National Arena on

July 13. (Wade Vandervort/Staff)

STANLEY CUP CHAMPS*

Should winning the NHL’s iconic prize mean any less in 2020?

BY CASE KEEFER

Asterisk debates are the bed bugs of the sports world. No matter how many times you try to kill them, they keep surfacing.

The NHL’s altered playo format is the latest victim of their attack, with some pundits suggesting that this year’s eventual winner should by default sit in the bottom tier of hockey champions throughout history. It’s a preposterous assertion that should be extinguished immediately.

The Stanley Cup that will be awarded after nearly three months of play in Edmonton and Toronto will not be tainted in any way. Vegas coach Peter DeBoer said it best: “Whoever wins it will have earned it.”

Of course, Golden Knights players won’t admit to looking that far ahead and contextualizing what a title in the coronavirus-interrupted 2019-2020 season might mean, but it has surely crossed their minds. That’s because they’re quietly con dent, knowing they have a realistic shot of becoming champions.

Check out the future odds at any sportsbook in the world, and the Golden Knights are a top-three favorite—along with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins—at prices ranging from 5- to 9-to-1. Notably, the betting lines on the top teams lengthened at some sportsbooks when news of the NHL’s expanded playo plan became public.

That should be telling. It means that if anything, winning this year’s Stanley Cup will be harder than ever before.

Inviting eight additional teams into the bracket inherently increases variance. Laugh all you want about the mediocre Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks (the latter of whom will start former Vegas backup Malcolm Subban in net), but every team skews probability, even if it’s only by a fraction of a percent.

In a way, typically hopeless teams will also be competing on a more level playing  eld. Those with better regular-season records—like the Golden Knights—fought all season for home-ice advantage in the playo s, which they’ll no longer have. A strong argument can be made that, behind only goalie Marc-André Fleury, the key factor in Vegas’ 2018 Stanley Cup Final run was T-Mobile Arena emerging as one of the league’s toughest venues. The Golden Knights won’t have that on their side in these playo s.

With games played minus fans, no team will. Being unable to celebrate with anyone beyond a few dozen teammates and club personnel looks like the biggest downside to winning this year. The champs taking the Cup on its traditional lap around the ice in front of 18,000 empty seats at Rogers Place, likely with generic crowd noise piped in for television audiences, will surely feel bizarre. But maybe it won’t be as weird as we think.

Remarkably, the past  ve Stanley Cup champions have won the deciding game on the road. Alexander Ovechkin didn’t seem to mind that the majority of the crowd hit the exits after his Capitals beat the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena.

Of course, the Caps did receive an appropriate celebration when they arrived back in Washington, D.C. It’s a bummer that, with mandatory social distancing likely for the foreseeable future, this year’s champion won’t get their own version of that. Visions of a championship parade down the Strip—Nate Schmidt grinning wildly, Ryan Reaves spraying his 7Five suds around and Fleury pranking distracted teammates—have helped make daydreaming about a Golden Knights’ Stanley Cup victory so exciting.

But such scenes are o the table amid a pandemic. Sure, some fans would whine over the lack of festivities—and some might even try to skirt safety protocols and organize rogue gatherings—but that would be unwise, for obvious publichealth reasons.

Whatever happens on the ice, the best way to proceed as fans might be to just embrace the strangeness of the format. As DeBoer says, “People are going to remember who won this Stanley Cup.”

And to those who insist on talking asterisks, how about this one: *Team navigated toughest playo setup in NHL history.

ALL IN TOGETHER NOW

How the Golden Knights’ midseason acquisitions bonded with the rest of the roster during the shutdown

(John Locher/Isaac Brekken/David Becker/AP Photo/Photo Illustration)

BY JUSTIN EMERSON

Physical distance was the only way the Golden Knights were separated throughout an NHLmandated self-quarantine period that lasted more than a month. Otherwise, players say they never felt far apart, as teamwide calls and other forms of communication occurred almost daily.

That constant contact came as a particular relief to those who had recently joined the team, like Nick Cousins. The forward had only come to Vegas two weeks before the shutdown courtesy of a trade-deadline deal with the Montreal Canadiens.

After going through both the coronavirus pause and ensuing two-week training camp with his new team, he says he now feels more like a Golden Knight than he did while playing briefl y in the spring. “I feel like I’ve been here for the whole season, because the guys have been really good to me,” Cousins says.

He’s not the lone new face. Goalie Robin Lehner was acquired via trade with Chicago on the same day as Cousins’ deal. Defenseman Alec Martinez came from the Los Angeles Kings a week earlier. Even Chandler Stephenson, whom Vegas received in a December trade with Washington, just experienced his fi rst Golden Knights camp.

The July training camp was also coach Peter DeBoer’s fi rst with Vegas. He was hired by the team in January, with players forced to learn his systems on the fl y. The Golden Knights did so admirably, rattling off eight straight wins shortly after his arrival and eventually winning the Pacifi c Division. They report that recent practices have helped to cement DeBoer’s strategies. “It was nice to come back and get in the swing of things,” Stephenson says.

Stephenson stayed in Las Vegas during the pause, rooming with Ryan Reaves. Lehner packed up a few things from Chicago and spent most of the time in Las Vegas. Cousins returned to Canada for a stretch. Martinez opted to hunker down in his LA home rather than a local hotel, but like Cousins, he says he used the time away to become one of the guys.

“It didn’t really matter where we were,” Martinez says. “We weren’t allowed to hang out, so phones and FaceTime and texting and all that went a long way just to keep in touch.”

Almost the entire team returned to Las Vegas for smallgroup workouts when permitted at the beginning of June and had perfect attendance among veterans at the start of training camp on July 13.

There are no strangers anymore. Everyone on the Golden Knights is united by a common goal to win the Stanley Cup, something they surely discussed during all those hours logged on video chat during quarantine. “I think [everyone] knows how this is a good opportunity for this team, [that] it has a really strong chance of going far,” Lehner says. “Everyone’s been committed.”

KNIGHT SHIFT

VGK anthem voice Carnell Johnson sings in Downtown Summerlin

BY BROCK RADKE

Hockey will be a lot different for Vegas fans this week, but if it helps to see a familiar face—and hear his familiar voice—VGK diehards can head to Wolfgang Puck Players Locker in Downtown Summerlin on Wednesday nights. There’s a weekly performance on the patio from acoustic duo Coverlane, consisting of singers Lynnae Meyers and Carnell Johnson.

Johnson is best known as the most frequent National Anthem singer for Golden Knights games at T-Mobile Arena. The Vegas-born singer and musician nicknamed “Golden Pipes” instantly became a fan favorite the fi rst time he sang at the Fortress, especially since he paused at the end of the line, “Gave proof through the night,” so the hometown crowd could scream “Knight!”

“I was defi nitely in the right place at the right time on that one,” Johnson says of the anthem gig and how it opened doors for his career. “I had friends and co-workers who had gone to games, and when I told them I’d be singing the national anthem, they [told me how] everybody yells it. I hadn’t been to a game before I sang. I thought, if they’re gonna yell it, why do I need to sing it? I can take a nice breath there.”

The rest is Vegas sports history.

Johnson has been focusing on Coverlane during the entertainment shutdown and is hoping to expand on the Downtown Summerlin gig when conditions allow. “It’s been exactly what the people want and need right now, just some form of live music they can enjoy [while] socially distancing at the same time,” he says.

SIZING UP THE COMPETITION A refresher on the teams Vegas could face in the Western Conference playoffs

BY JUSTIN EMERSON

Up fi rst for the Golden Knights: a July 30 exhibition game against the Arizona Coyotes, followed by round-robin contests against the Dallas Stars (August 3), St. Louis Blues (August 6) and Colorado Avalanche (August 8).

After that? It’s anyone’s guess. With the round-robin results determining seeding, the Golden Knights could match up with any of the non-roundrobin Western Conference teams in the fi rst round. From there, with reseeding every round, the possibilities remain endless. No one can be counted out as a potential opponent, so let’s review the conference’s other 11 playoff teams in the West, listed in order of their seed heading into the tournament.

“Being a father is a whole new experience, the best thing so far that’s happened to me in my life. It was one of the positive things of this current thing, [spending] more time with him.” –Tomas Nosek, on his son, born in January

■ ST. LOUIS BLUES The defending Stanley Cup champs aren’t giving up the title without a fi ght. They were the best regular-season team in the West this year, and the only team Vegas has never beaten in regulation. Player to watch: David Perron. The former Golden Knight continues to produce for St. Louis, sitting tied for the team lead with 25 goals. VGK record against this season: 2-1 (even goal differential). ■ COLORADO AVALANCHE No team has beaten down Vegas quite like Colorado. The Avalanche are fast and led the Western Conference in goals this season with solid goaltending and defense around their potent offense. Player to watch: Nathan MacKinnon. He’s a Hart Trophy fi nalist this year, but has only one goal (to go with seven assists) in eight all-time meetings against the Golden Knights. VGK record against this season: 0-2 (-9 goal differential). ■ DALLAS STARS They won’t score a ton, but they won’t give up much, either. Goalie Ben Bishop backstops perhaps the best defensive scheme in the Western Conference. Player to watch: Miro Heiskanen. At 20 years old, he’s the future for Dallas’ defensive unit after a breakout year that saw him fi nish second on the team in assists behind star Tyler Seguin. VGK record against this season: 1-1 (-1 goal differential). ■ EDMONTON OILERS The Oilers have a twoheaded monster: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Stopping them is unlikely, so opponents’ best formula is to focus on thoroughly beating the other 21 players on the roster. Player to watch: McDavid. He’s the best player in the world and can control a game on his own. He has 15 points in 10 career games against Vegas. VGK record against this season: 2-1 (+2 goal differential). ■ NASHVILLE PREDATORS The Predators made it to the Cup Final as recently as 2017. Even in a relative down year, they’ll be a tough out thanks to stingy defense and solid goaltending. Player to watch: Roman Josi. He’s a fi nalist for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s best defenseman, and paired with Ryan Ellis, forms arguably the NHL’s best blue line. VGK record against this season: 2-0 (+4 goal differential).

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“He likes to do some of ABBA’s greatest hits. We listen to a lot of ’70s and ’80s together … we like to jam out and sing out to those, a lot of car jams. Worst? I’ve never heard him rap, probably for a good reason. –Oscar Dansk, on living with William Karlsson during quarantine

ODDS TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP

Vegas Golden Knights 6-to-1 Boston Bruins 7-to-1 Tampa Bay Lightning 7-to-1 Colorado Avalanche 8-to-1 St. Louis Blues 10-to-1 Philadelphia Flyers 12-to-1 Toronto Maple Leafs 12-to-1 Washington Capitals 12-to-1 Dallas Stars 14-to-1 Pittsburgh Penguins 18-to-1 Edmonton Oilers 30-to-1 Nashville Predators 40-to-1 Arizona Coyotes 50-to-1 Calgary Flames 50-to-1 Carolina Hurricanes 50-to-1 New York Rangers 50-to-1 Vancouver Canucks 50-to-1 Winnipeg Jets 50-to-1 Minnesota Wild 60-to-1 Florida Panthers 80-to-1 New York Islanders 80-to-1 Chicago Blackhawks 100-to-1 Columbus Blue Jackets 100-to-1 Montreal Canadiens 100-to-1

(Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook odds at press time)

■ VANCOUVER CANUCKS An afterthought coming into the year, the young Canucks have matured ahead of schedule and actually led the Pacifi c Division for stretches of the season. The Golden Knights have never lost to the Canucks in regulation in franchise history. Player to watch: Elias Pettersson. He used elite possession numbers during the regular season to bolster a dark horse MVP campaign that saw him rack up 66 points in 68 games. VGK record against this season: 1-0-1 (+2 goal differential). ■ CALGARY FLAMES Calgary might be breathing a sigh of relief that Las Vegas wasn’t chosen as a hub city, since the Flames are winless in six all-time trips to T-Mobile Arena. Player to watch: Elias Lindholm. He might not be the fi rst player who comes to mind when most consider Calgary’s talented forward group, but he did lead the team with 29 goals this season. VGK record against this season: 3-0 (+12 goal differential). ■ WINNIPEG JETS The Jets were one of the worst possession teams in the NHL this year but still beat the Golden Knights twice before the season paused. Player to watch: Connor Hellebuyck. He should win the Vezina Trophy as the season’s top goalie, and has a case for MVP, too. The Jets’ skaters haven’t been great, and Hellebuyck kept them in the playoff hunt. VGK record against this season: 0-1-1 (-5 goal differential). ■ MINNESOTA WILD A team that has always had the Golden Knights’ number, the Wild play a tight defensive game that can be perplexing. Vegas is just 2-6 all-time against Minnesota. Player to watch: Jonas Brodin. He might be the most underrated player in the NHL, quietly putting up elite defensive numbers and stabilizing Minnesota’s blue line. VGK record against this season: 1-1 (-3 goal differential). ■ ARIZONA COYOTES Trades for star wingers Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel haven’t worked out the way Arizona had hoped, but the Coyotes will be hungry playing their fi rst postseason hockey since 2012. Player to watch: Darcy Kuemper. He’s one of the best goalies in the league when healthy. VGK record against this season: 2-1 (+0 goal differential). ■ CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS Chicago traded its best goalie to Vegas at the deadline, but this is a team that could still spring an upset or two. Player to watch: Patrick Kane. He’s stayed on a Hall of Fame path despite his team’s recent struggles. He’s also been nearly a point-per-game player in 127 career playoff games. VGK record against this season: 2-1 (+2 goal differential).