- Per a team release, the Vegas Golden Knights announced Manny Viveiros will be leaving the organization. Viveiros has been the head coach of the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights since their inception in 2020. In their first year of existence, the team had a 25-13-1 record in a Covid-shortened season, and followed that up with a 34-28-5 record in 2021-22. The team struggled this season however, finished outside the Calder Cup Playoffs with a record of 29-38-5. Viveiros’ contract is set to expire on June 30 and it will not be renewed.
Golden Knights Rumors
PHR Playoff Primer: Vegas Golden Knights vs Winnipeg Jets
With the start of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs upon us, PHR makes its first foray into playoff series analysis with our 2023 Playoff Primers. Where does each team stand in their series, and what storylines could dominate on and off the ice? We continue our look with the matchup between the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets.
The #1 vs #8 seed in the Western Conference is not going to be a walk in the park for the top-seeded Vegas Golden Knights. They were able to hold off the Edmonton Oilers and Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the Western Conference, and while that gives them home-ice advantage throughout the first three rounds, it does not give them an easy matchup in any of those potential series.
The Winnipeg Jets were able to hold off the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot in the west. A 7-3-0 run just before their final game of the season was enough to clinch that spot. Vegas was even hotter down the stretch, finishing 9-1-3 in their final 13 games.
Who can keep the hot streak alive for two more weeks and emerge victorious in a much tighter #1 vs #8 series than we are used to seeing in the opening round?
Regular Season Performance
Vegas: 51-22-9, 111 points, +43 goal differential
Winnipeg: 46-33-3, 95 points, +22 goal differential
Head-To-Head
October 20, 2022: Vegas 5, Winnipeg 2
October 30, 2022: Vegas 2, Winnipeg 1 (OT)
December 13, 2022: Vegas 6, Winnipeg 5
Vegas takes the season series 3-0
Team Storylines
Which Winnipeg Jets team shows up? We have seen a few different versions of the Winnipeg Jets this season. The first version was terrific, as the Jets were the best team in the Western Conference for the first half of the season. They started the year with a 29-14-1 record which put them fourth in the NHL on January 16 but leading the west. A couple of tough road trips to the east followed and a bit of a free-fall began in Winnipeg.
Between January 16 and March 20 the Jets went 10-15-2 to fall to the edges of the playoff race. Instead of talking about the top seed or even home-ice advantage, they were just scrambling to try and get in at all. Then they got hot again and finished the season 7-4-0 to get into the playoffs as the final wildcard seed.
So which Jets team do we see in the next two weeks? The best team in the west like we saw for more than three months to begin the season? The struggling team that showed up for about two months late in the year or the back-against-the-wall squad that was able to grind out wins in the final couple weeks?
Will Mark Stone return to make a difference? While the Jets were the top team in the west at some points, the Golden Knights were right behind them. The difference was the Golden Knights were able to remain consistent throughout the season, even while dealing with some huge injuries. One of the biggest injuries they suffered was to Mark Stone, a fantastic two-way winger who is capable of scoring at a point-per-game pace and is better defensively than offensively. He has been out of the Vegas lineup for the second half of the season and the team began the year 28-13-2 with Stone in the lineup. He was cleared for contact recently and could be back as soon as Game 1. If so, the team that finished the season at the top of the Western Conference just got a whole lot better.
Can Connor Hellebuyck continue late-season heroics? Hellebuyck’s season kind of mirrored the Jets season. He was fantastic for the first three months of the season, but then slipped a bit and did not have great numbers in January, February or March. However, he was able to recapture his magic late in the season and helped the Jets clinch a playoff spot with some spectacular play in their final handful of games. In his last ten games he had a 1.80 GAA and a .936 SV% to propel the Jets into the playoffs. If he can keep up that terrific play, the Jets will be in great shape.
Can the Knights find a reliable starting goalie? While the Jets have one of the NHL’s most reliable, and busiest goaltenders, the Knights had a hard time finding a consistent goaltender most of the season. Adin Hill and Logan Thompson played the most games for the Golden Knights this season in goal, and were steady as they each posted a .915 SV%. However, Hill was hurt over a month ago and has not played a game since March 7. Thompson has also dealt with injuries and has only played one game since February 9.
The Kings acquired veteran Jonathan Quick at the trade deadline but he doesn’t appear to have the same Stanley Cup winning magic he had a decade ago. Quick played ten games with the Golden Knights, posting a 3.13 GAA and a .901 SV% in that time.
It appears their starter could be Laurent Brossoit, who recently served as Hellebuyck’s rarely used backup for three seasons. Brossoit played most of this season in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights before being called up due to Hill and Thompson being injured. He played great down the stretch, winning his five April starts while posting a 1.59 GAA and a .946 SV%. Can he continue that hot streak into the postseason? Can he stare down his former teammate in the opposite goal and match him save for save? If so, the Golden Knights have a terrific chance of advancing.
How does Jack Eichel perform in first ever playoff series? Golden Knights leading scorer Jack Eichel is 26 years old and has had a great career so far, but he will suit up for his first ever playoff game when this series begins. He has scored 446 points in 476 career regular season games, but the playoffs are a different entity.
Whose depth proves to be greater? While Eichel was the team’s leading scorer, he only had 66 points. He did also only play 67 games so it was a great season for him, but there are no Art Ross Trophy candidates on this roster. That doesn’t mean they can’t score, as they have plenty of depth with Chandler Stephenson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Alex Pietrangelo and William Karlsson all scoring more than 50 points and Mark Stone certainly would have if healthy.
The Jets roster is built similarly. Kyle Connor had nearly a point-per-game season with 80 points in 82 games and Josh Morrissey, Mark Scheifele, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Blake Wheeler, Nikolaj Ehlers, Nino Niederreiter and Cole Perfetti can all contribute plenty of offense.
It will be a difficult task for both teams defensive pairs to shut down all three of the opposing team’s top lines and should lead to some depth players stepping up to play big roles in this series since neither team is leaning on just a couple of players to provide scoring. Both teams are set up for balanced scoring and it will be interesting to see if anyone can step up and score over a point per game in the series to give their team the edge.
Prediction
The prediction: On paper, the Jets look just as good as the Golden Knights, and they were at times, but they found ways to be inconsistent throughout the season. The Knights on the other hand were able to continue their winning ways even with key players out of the lineup for long stretches. The Golden Knights will outlast the Jets in a long, hard-fought series and win in seven games.
Mark Stone Activated From Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Vegas Golden Knights will have their captain in the lineup for game one. Mark Stone has been officially activated from long-term injured reserve and will play against the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night. Stone told the media that he “feels really good and really confident” and is excited to return after such a long period away.
The 30-year-old winger last played on January 12, leaving the game after just four shifts as his back injury flared up. He underwent surgery a few weeks later, his second procedure in less than a year. Limited to just 43 games this season, he scored 17 goals and 38 points while still providing excellent defensive production. The Golden Knights were 28-13-2 with Stone in the lineup, and will now move into the postseason with their two-way leader back on the ice.
While there is no doubt that Stone has dealt with serious back issues the last few seasons, some will still point to the timing of his return as a problem with the league’s cap structure. The Golden Knights could not have activated him in the regular season, even if he was healthy enough to return, after using a large chunk of his LTIR relief. He can return without issue in the playoffs, with no cap ceiling, to try and help Vegas advance.
Now the question is whether he can be effective right away. Even though Winnipeg is a significant underdog, plenty of talented players could swing the series (Connor Hellebuyck, most notably). Vegas will need their best effort from puck drop, and it remains to be seen whether Stone can return to his usual level after such a long absence.
Golden Knights Notes: Hill, Thompson, Recalls
Having successfully gotten through his conditioning stint earlier this month, Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill confirmed to reporters today (video link) that he has fully recovered and is available to dress for Tuesday’s series opener against Winnipeg. He has been out for more than a month with a lower-body injury and posted the lowest GAA on the team at 2.45 while contributing a .915 SV%. However, at this time, Hill isn’t sure if he’ll be dressing for Game One with Laurent Brossoit set to get the start against his former team. Either Hill or trade deadline acquisition Jonathan Quick will serve as the backup.
More from Vegas:
- Goaltender Logan Thompson has not yet resumed skating, relays Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). The 26-year-old, who was the starter for most of the season and also posted a .915 SV%, has played just once in the last two months. At this point, it seems safe to suggest that he won’t be available to play in the first round at a minimum and with three other healthy netminders, even if he is cleared later on and Vegas moves on, it’s hardly a guarantee that he’ll be in uniform when the time comes.
- With AHL Henderson’s season now over and the Silver Knights not playoff-bound, the Golden Knights have made two recalls, per CapFriendly (Twitter links) as defenseman Kaedan Korczak and Brayden Pachal are back up with Vegas. Both players picked up two assists in ten NHL contests this season. Korczak also collected 14 points in 50 games with Henderson while Pachal collected 15 in 55 appearances. It wouldn’t be surprising to see other players recalled in the near future to comprise their ‘Black Aces’ group.
Latest On William Carrier
- Vegas Golden Knights winger William Carrier was a surprise performer this season, flying past career highs to score 16 goals and 25 points in just 56 games. The 28-year-old has been with the Golden Knights since the franchise’s expansion draft and is under contract for $1.4MM through next season. He hasn’t played since a March 3rd contest against the New Jersey Devils, but thankfully for Vegas he could be nearing a return. Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy told the media, including The Athletic’s Jesse Granger, that Carrier could return during the first round against the Winnipeg Jets. That would be a significant addition to Vegas’ bottom six and would add some useful depth goal-scoring to an organization hoping to make another deep playoff run.
Mark Stone Cleared For Contact
In second and third place last week were Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Laurent Brossoit. Burns scored goals in all three of the Hurricanes games last week as they held off the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. He added a second goal against the Florida Panthers to give him four goals in three contests last week. Brossoit suited up for two games between the pipes for the Golden Knights and allowed just one goal in each game, winning them both while stopping 50 of the 52 shots he faced during the week.
- Per a team release, Vegas Golden Knights Head Coach Bruce Cassidy mentioned Mark Stone has been cleared for contact. This is a step in the right direction for the star two-way winger as he tries to return from an injury that has kept him out of the lineup since January 12. Stone has been dealing with back issues for three months, but his status was changed to day-to-day today as he is now able to join his teammates for practice as a full participant. The Golden Knights begin their first round series with the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday.
Shea Theodore Close To Returning For Vegas Golden Knights
Jesse Granger of The Athletic tweeted today that defenseman Shea Theodore has started skating with the team for the first time since his injury in late March. Theodore has missed seven games with the undisclosed injury and is travelling with the team according to Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. While Theodore skating again is certainly encouraging, he did practice in a non-contact jersey leading one to believe that he has a few more hurdles to clear before he returns to game action.
Theodore is having another strong offensive season, albeit in limited action. The usually durable defenseman has missed 27 games this season but has still managed to put up 41 points in 54 games. Theodore hasn’t dealt with injuries often in his career and hasn’t missed significant time since joining Vegas for the 2017-18 season.
While Theodore’s powerplay time and production have dropped, the 27-year-old has never been better at even strength. Theodore has 28 points at five on five in 54 games, which is one off his career high that he set last year in 78 games. Despite his injuries this season, Theodore remains a strong offensive defenseman and would likely see significant time on the Golden Knights second unit when he does make his return.
Vegas appears to be getting healthy at exactly the right time as both Jack Eichel and Mark Stone also skated this morning. Stone was also in a blue non-contact jersey, while Eichel took the optional skate in a regular practice jersey. The Golden Knights have overcome an awful lot of injuries this season including long term injuries to Robin Lehner, Nolan Patrick, and Stone. Despite the man games lost the Golden Knights still find themselves as one of the favorites to come out of a wide-open Western Conference.
Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jesper Vikman
The Vegas Golden Knights are on the verge of possibly clinching first place in the Pacific Division as well as the Western Conference this week, but they have taken care of some off-ice business today as well. Per a team statement, the Golden Knights have signed prospect Jesper Vikman to a contract.
Vikman is a 21-year-old goaltender who just wrapped up his Junior career with the Vancouver Giants. He put up a 3.29 GAA and a .903 SV% in 45 games for a non-contending Giants squad. The Swedish goaltender was drafted in the fifth round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Golden Knights and played one final season in Sweden before joining the Giants. He was called up to play five games in the SHL that season, getting some pro experience as a teenager in a difficult league.
There is a path to some pro playing time for Vikman next season. Logan Thompson has been solid for the Golden Knights each of the past two seasons, but Jonathan Quick, Adin Hill and Laurent Brossoit are all unrestricted free agents this summer and the organization is going to need some depth at the position. Robin Lehner is signed as well but missed the entire season with injury so his status will be in question entering next season as well.
Vikman is now eligible to join the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL where Jiri Patera is the starting goalie. Patera has posted a 2.93 GAA and a .908 SV% and the Silver Knights have just three games remaining in the season before they are done. They sit 9th in the Pacific Division and will not make the Calder Cup Playoffs this season.
Vikman is on a tryout agreement with the Silver Knights for the rest of this season, and his three year entry-level contract will begin in 2023-24.
Henderson Silver Knights Sign Noah Carroll
- The Henderson Silver Knights, an affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, announced the signing of defenseman Noah Carroll to a professional tryout agreement. Carroll spent five seasons with the University of New Brunswick of the USports League, winning championships in 2019 and 2023. Included in his resume is another five-year stretch in the OHL, playing for the Soo Greyhounds and the Guelph Storm from 2014-2018. In 88 games played for Canada’s top collegiate league, Carroll scored one goal and 17 assists.
[SOURCE LINK]
- The Henderson Silver Knights, an affiliate of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, announced the signing of defenseman Noah Carroll to a professional tryout agreement. Carroll spent five seasons with the University of New Brunswick of the USports League, winning championships in 2019 and 2023. Included in his resume is another five-year stretch in the OHL, playing for the Soo Greyhounds and the Guelph Storm from 2014-2018. In 88 games played for Canada’s top collegiate league, Carroll scored one goal and 17 assists.
Mark Stone Returns To Vegas Golden Knights Practice
The Vegas Golden Knights have two games remaining in their season and, despite the Edmonton Oilers’ incredible recent run, still hold first place in the Pacific Division. As they try to lock up the division, they received a significant emotional boost as captain Mark Stone returned to practice in a non-contact jersey.
The team has also recalled Kaedan Korczak from the AHL and brought Adin Hill back from his conditioning stint.
Stone, 30, has been out since mid-January with a back injury that continues to limit his playing time. The veteran winger has managed 200 games over the past four seasons combined, including just 43 this season. That said, he was exceptional in those games, scoring 17 goals and 38 points while continuing to provide his elite defensive ability.
His season was cut short when he underwent another back surgery at the end of January. At the time, the team listed him out “indefinitely,” but has given positive reports in recent weeks.
The timing of his return will certainly raise some eyebrows, even if Stone’s injury is legitimate. The Golden Knights used most of the salary cap relief from moving Stone (and Robin Lehner and Nolan Patrick) to long-term injured reserve, adding players like Jonathan Quick, Ivan Barbashev, and Teddy Blueger at the deadline.
Vegas currently has a cap hit of over $96MM, using nearly $14MM in LTIR relief. When the playoffs start, they could activate Stone without any repercussions.
That’s not to say they’re without injuries now, though. Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and Zach Whitecloud were all absent from practice today. That’s why Korczak, one of the team’s top prospects, is up to help them with the last few games. The 22-year-old defenseman has 14 points in 50 games with the Henderson Silver Knights this season, and has appeared in 11 career games with Vegas.