Golden Knights Fan Poll: Eichel’s Status, Favorite Players, and What To Do With Brossoit

With the Vegas Golden Knights off today, we're trying something new here at Vegas Hockey Now.

Taking a page out of Dan Kingerski's book of Pittsburgh Hockey Now fame, we are polling the fans. The Golden Knights fanbase is one of the strangest ones in the NHL, in our opinion. This isn't a diss, but there are a lot of hockey fans here who are new to the game, which is totally fine.

Like all professional sports teams, there are some bad apples. The harassment of Robin Lehner is disgusting and needs to stop.

Anyways, here's just a handful of questions we wanted to ask yinz about over on our beat-writer Owen Krepps' main Twitter page- @OKrepps85

Question 1

Halfway through the season, who do you got? Twitter limits polls to only four maximum choices, so we couldn't include Jack Eichel, as we wanted to have the option for all other players to be mentioned. But based on his play recently, I doubt he would get many voters.

Who has been the Golden Knight's MVP this season?#VegasBorn

— Owen Krepps (@OKrepps85) January 17, 2023

VHN's Answer: Mark Stone

These last two games have further driven home the point that Mark Stone is the heart and soul of this team because, without him, they are lost.

Question 2

After two rough games and an 11-game absence due to injury, what do the Golden Knights think of Jack Eichel?

VHN's Answer: No

Eichel has not been the superstar player that the VGK needs and seems a step off from the level of guys like Nathan Mackinnon, Jason Robertson, and Tage Thompson. An 11-game injury shouldn't damage his season this much unless he is playing through something.

Question 3

We're very curious to see the results on this one. 

VHN's Answer: Other

We were under the impression that the Golden Knight's current seven-game homestand would be a perfect time to get Brossoit some NHL action. But given that there are now only two games left on the homestand, it doesn't look like this will happen. Adin Hill has put together some good games too.

So our ideal plan is to continue to play the waiting game. Perhaps a goalie falls off or gets injured, or another team comes knocking desperate for a tendy.

Question 4

I think there's a runaway favorite here in Paul Cotter but could see Phil Kessel getting some votes.

VHN's Answer: Phil Kessel

Let me just put it out there that all three of these players have been a treat to cover this season. Cotter and Hill are two of the best guys to talk to in the locker room, and I find myself gravitating toward their corner after every morning skate because they're both super nice. 

But c'mon- given that I'm from Western Pennsylvania and grew up a Pittsburgh Penguins fan- it's gotta be the 2x Stanley Cup Champion Ironman.

Question 5

Simple question here. The player can either impress you positively or negatively.

VHN's Answer: Paul Cotter

We expected Cotter to make the Golden Knight's lineup out of training camp, given that the team lost three wingers in the 2022 offseason. But the level of play Cotter has brought to the VGK has been much higher than what we expected. Here's to a solid second half for fedora man.

Question 6

The biggest question of them all, that only time will answer.

VHN's Answer: First-Round Loss

We're sticking to our pick here. The Golden Knights, even when healthy, are not a deep enough team on offense to get it done. A trade deadline acquisition could help, but that's anticipating something that could possibly not even happen.

Polls will be open until 1/18/2023.