The success of the Vegas Golden Knights has been the biggest surprise of the 2017-18 season so far.
Even the club’s general manger is surprised.
“No one expected this start,” Vegas GM George McPhee said during an appearance on Prime Time Sports Wednesday night. “We’re really happy with it, but realistically it’s early—we’re a long way from even the mid-point of the season.
“We wanted to be competitive, and we are,” he said. “And we’re doing the best we can.”
The club has managed to remain competitive without the man they drafted as their No. 1 goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury. Fleury was placed on injured reserve back in mid-October with a concussion, and is “doing very well,” in his recovery, according to McPhee.
“He’s working out hard off the ice,” he said. “We just have to make sure he’s 100 per cent. The number of symptoms are down to one, and the severity now at this point is very low. But we’re not going to put him on the ice to practise or do anything until that brain is 100 per cent healed. It’s important now, it’s important 15 years from now.”
Fleury made an appearance on the ice earlier this month, but has yet to practise with the team as they continue to take a careful approach to his healing.
“He’ll be ready when he’s ready,” said McPhee. “There’s no bright-line test, we don’t know when that’s going to be, but hoping that’s getting closer.”
In addition to talking about his team’s goalie rotation, McPhee also discussed the merits of head coach Gerard Gallant, the contract extension signed by defencemen Brayden McNabb, and his relationship with team owner Bill Foley.
Listen to the complete audio here:
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