NHL: 3 questions for the Vegas Golden Knights

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Ahead of the 2022-23 season, there are 3 important questions that the Vegas Golden Knights must answer:

1) How important is Robin Lehner’s injury? The Golden Knights’ goaltender had to undergo a hip surgery which has ruled him out of the upcoming season. Moreover, backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit has also had to undergo hip surgery. While he will be back for the current season, his performance is not expected to be competitive enough to win games. Meanwhile replacement goaltender Adin Hill is facing a slump in form, with his save percentage down to 0.906. Alternate goalie Logan Thompson is relatively unexperienced with only 20 NHL games played so far.

2) How much is Jack Eichel expected to improve? After his move from the Buffaloes last year, a deal which cost $10 million, Eichel scored 14 goals and 25 points in 34 games. This performance is disappointing for a player who scored 36 goals and 78 points in 68 games two years ago, and whose inclusion in the team has affected the overall budget available for other players. This also comes at a time when the Pacific Division has improved, with teams like Vancouver and Anaheim with newer squads.

3) Will the team be plagued by injuries for another reason? The last season was injury ridden for the Golden Knights, with only defender Alex Pietrangelo having played more than 79 games, and only seven players in all to have played more than 69 games. For this season, three key players Lehner, Brossoit and Nolan Patrick have been ruled out. Injuries were responsible for the Knights missing the play-offs and fans hope that this is not repeated in the upcoming season. Moreover, with only a slim chance of a game-changing recruit, the Knights must put up their best performance with the team they already have.