It’s been a rollercoaster start to the season for the Vegas Golden Knights.

On one hand, they’re second in the Pacific Division with a record of 7-3-3. They’re averaging 3.31 goals per game, which is 12th in the league. Jack Eichel is tied for the league lead in scoring, and they boast a top-ten power play.

On the other hand, the Golden Knights look shaky. Their goal scoring comes in spurts and is prone to go bone-dry. Adin Hill is injured. And that top-ten power play has drastically fallen from grace— they’ve scored just twice in their last 23 opportunities.

That means it’s time for a Mailbag.

As always, I sincerely thank everyone who participated. I love doing these and hearing from all of you. It’s going to be a long season– let’s do this again soon.

Without further ado, let’s dive right in!

How much longer are they gonna stick with Lauzon before benching him? –Nick

I’ll admit that I haven’t been terribly impressed with his play thus far. He brings a much-needed physical presence to the backend, but he’s also a liability who can’t stay out of the box. Lauzon missed most of last season with an injury, but at this point, I’m not sure how much of his play is rust and how much is just who he is.

That being said, head coach Bruce Cassidy seems happy with his play so far this season.

“I think [Lauzon] and Korczy are very steady,” said Cassidy after Tuesday’s 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. “This is a pair that, if you’re not noticing them a lot in terms of mistakes, you’re probably getting a really good game out of them.

“Usually, you’re noticing them being physical, blocking a shot, killing a play, putting out a fire in the D zone. I think they’re doing their job, I really do,” Cassidy continued. “They’ve been together since day one, and I think this partnership is working and growing.

“So, yes, I’m happy with him. Jeremy was physical tonight, and he stayed out of trouble in terms of the penalty box. I think he’s gotten a few calls… I think he’s also been the victim of some 50/50 ones. I thought he played hard tonight and did a good job for us… He’s a hard-nosed guy that makes it tough on the other team,” Cassidy finished.

Cassidy is 100% right– when you don’t notice Lauzon, he’s doing his job. The problem is, when you do notice him, it’s usually because he’s out of position after going for a big hit. 

But, if Lauzon comes out of the lineup, who goes in? Is Ben Hutton an every-game player? Because there’s no one in Henderson challenging for the job. 

Could we get anything for Mark Stone? The injuries are just too many, and we need players on the ice. –Jim

I mean, sure. If the Golden Knights traded Mark Stone, they would get something for him. I don’t think he’s untradable.

However, I don’t think the return would be all that great. Other teams will have the exact same concerns about Stone’s injury history as you do. And you have to remember that he makes $9.5 million– even with the salary cap going up, very few teams have that kind of space.

And look at the state of this power play without Stone. Look at the offense without him. When he’s healthy, he brings so much to the lineup. 

Oh, and he has a full No Movement Clause. So even if the Golden Knights wanted to trade him– I doubt they have any interest– Stone would have to sign off on it.

I wasn’t a fan of the offseason Marner signing; at the time, I thought the D had to be addressed. Is there a D Man that could be acquired in a trade that fits the Knights? –Keith

You weren’t a fan of the offseason Marner signing? Gosh, you must be from Toronto!

Kidding. I can understand fixating on the concerns about the defense.

As for identifying a defenseman that fits the Golden Knights’ needs, this one is tough.

For starters, they have no money. They were only able to sign Carter Hart because they placed Stone on LTIR. When they activate Stone, their roster, as currently constructed, will be worth $98,005,797– and yes, that’s without Alex Pietrangelo’s cap hit. 

That means they’ll be $2,505,797 over the salary cap. 

First, they’ll reassign Carl Lindbom to Henderson because he’s waivers exempt. They’ll still be $1,665,797 over the cap. So, they’ll have to send two of Alexander Holtz, Cole Reinhardt, Ben Hutton, and Akira Schmid to the minors to become cap-compliant. All four can be claimed off waivers by another team– but that’s a different question. 

Back to yours.

There’s one other reason why answering this question is tricky: right now, very few teams are out of the race. Within the next few months, the pretenders will regress to the mean and come to terms with the reality of their situation. But for now, they’re unlikely to concede and start selling off players. That’s why teams very rarely make trades of any real significance this early in the season.

I will say this: there’s been a good amount of smoke, but I don’t think Rasmus Andersson is worth the price that the Calgary Flames will ask.

When is this team going to finally spend some money on a proper net minder? In years past, the defense was built to protect the goalie, but all of those guys are gone, and the weakness has been exposed! Hill is a big body, but lacks vision and quickness. Almost everyone we have let go is a starter on another team. Additionally, Theodore’s giveaways are becoming way too frequent, and it seems that when they happen, they are catastrophic! Without Hanifin, there has been zero shooting threat from the D! –Dave

Where would the Golden Knights be without a goaltending controversy?

I’m mostly joking, but honestly, Golden Knights fans hate their starting goaltender more than any fanbase I’ve interacted with. They hated Fleury, hated Lehner, and now they hate Hill. They didn’t have time to turn on Thompson, but they would have the first time he gave up five goals in a game.

The team spent their goaltending allowance when they signed Hill to a six-year, $37.5 million extension. And they just signed Carter Hart to a two-year deal. That’s $8.25 million right there.

Even if they wanted to upgrade their starter, where would they get one? Starters are in high demand, and teams typically don’t want to let go of their good ones. Hill is a solid starting goaltender in this league. He’s not in the top ten, but he’s probably in that 12-15 range.

As for Shea Theodore, he is third on the team in giveaways with 17 in 13 games. That being said, he turns the puck over because of how many touches he’s getting. Similarly, Jack Eichel leads the team in giveaways with 26 in 13 games. 

And so far, Theodore is actually turning the puck over less frequently than he did last season, when he had 105 giveaways in 67 games. 

You’re right, though. Hanifin loves to fire the puck. In his two games back from injury, he recorded three and five shots on goal, respectively.

In your estimation, where are the Golden Knights at this point in the season? Please use a scale from 1-10 to answer, with 10 being best. –Ed

Honestly? Somewhere between six and seven. I don’t think they’re playing exceptionally well, but they’re not playing horribly by any means.

The Golden Knights have a 7-3-3 record. They’re second in the (admittedly weak) Pacific Division, and fifth in the Western Conference. So, they can’t be playing that poorly.

But they’re capable of so much more. Right now, they’re struggling to consistently generate offense without much help from an ice-cold power play. They’ve scored the first goal of the game in just four of their 13 games this season.

I think the Golden Knights are one of seven teams capable of competing for a Stanley Cup. Right now, they’re not playing up to that standard. But that’s okay, because it’s early November, and the Stanley Cup is awarded in June.

Ultimately, the Golden Knights are playing at a ‘just fine’ level, and they still have a good record. If they can get the power play back on track and figure out how to start games on time, the sky’s the limit.