The Party Is Over.

The Vegas Golden Knights season came to a crushing end on Saturday night for General Manager Doug Waite, and his team of cast-offs.  The Knights fell the EHE’s Kyle Dubas, and his Colorado Avalanche.   The Avalanche ran the table on the Knights after being down three games to one.  GM Kirklan Lycar’s superior team, and superb team management ended the year long party in Las Vegas. 

Changes seem to be on the horizon for the Knights this offseason.  Some have began to wonder on where the team moves forward, and if the General Manager may be in for another problem.  The Golden Knights have a total of nine unrestricted free agents on the current roster, and a number of holes to attempt to address.  

Not much has been heard from of the General Manager after the loss.  Other than an odd post in the EHE Forum offering his services to help any team in need of drafting in the upcoming EHE Draft the end of July.  When asked by two-time EHE Stanley Cup Icon Bob McGugan, if his wife knew about this message,the only answer was silence.  However, Monday morning and the "Knights Locker Clean-out Kegger" is upon us, and the GM is also alive, and well, to answer all of our questions.

The Journal staff joins the General Manager for a few questions, and even more “pops” for the end of year press conference, and what he plans to do “After the Party”.

Glad you are alive:

I am listening to The Doors, and drinking a PBR, at 10 in the morning on a Monday rolling into a day off.  I am alive my friend.

Overall thoughts on Game 7 against Colorado:

We had one powerplay the entire game.  How many did Colorado have?  Nine.  Nine powerplays.  Which they scored three goals against.  Steve Kozari, and Don O’Halloran are two beauties.  Jim Schoenfeld had it right all along.  A complaint was addressed to the Commissioner post game.  A discussion was had.  While we do not agree with SIMONT, the Commissioner brought up the following point:

“That sucks that it took til Game 101 for Polak to Polak.”

Can’t disagree with that.

The seaon is over, but on a brighter note, the Draft is little over a month away, and you are looking good at third overall:

If we stay at three, the prospect is already chosen.  Not much is going to change my mind at the moment unless I can move down in the draft.  If that is the case, two prospects have caught my eye.  Did we luck out in this draft?  No question, I'm not going to say the obvious, because we have all made bad deals before.  I once moved Nail Yakupov for TJ Brodie and a pick, because I knew Yail was going to come back.  Want to know how that ended up?  F*** Nail.

I have five picks right now, and have only a half a handful of prospects.  I traded away the top two prospects I drafted last year to try to make a run this year, and the rest of the draft was a bit of a letdown.  I plan on really digging in this year, since I do not have to draft an entire team this off-season.

Upcoming Changes:

Many.  We want to improve the overall core of the club.  We need a number one center, and more in the bottom six.

Nothing on the coach’s front is being discussed right now.  Bruce (Boudreau) still has two years left on his contract, and did a fantastic job this season for what he was given.  He should be in the running for Jack Adams for what he did with this club.  Todd Reirden also did a great job in Rapid City.  I dicked him over a number of times this year with dealing players off his roster to try to improve the pro-club.  He has a bright future in the EHE.  Hopefully it is with us, but if another team comes along, and wants to drag him out of luxurious South Dakota, I will not hinder that opportunity for him.  That is of course, if we can come to a deal…

Leaving UFA’s:

We have nine off the main roster.  We are losing our Captain (Brian Gionta), our number one goalie (Jonathan Quick), our number one center (Paul Statsny), and a jackass defenseman who does not know what the word discipline is.  We are also losing some quality players in Marian Gaborik, and Thomas Hickey.  And, Mike Brown..  I put him in the line-up when we got smoked by Los Angeles in our first game of the playoffs.  The team was complete trash, we went into the playoffs on an eight-game losing streak.  Mike Brown brought the grit we needed for Game 2, along with twenty thirty packs for a ripper in Vegas.  Hehelped us make it into the second round.  He was then scratched when we needed the "Dzingle Youth" against Anaheim.

Targeting UFA’s:

No comment.

Offer-sheet rumors:

I am not going to not comment this one.  I laughed and joked with a number of GM’s this season that I was coming for their players this off-season.  Well fellas, good news, and bad news.  Bad news, I am going to make an offer for an RFA, and I plan on breaking the bank.  Good news is, maybe he is not yours, I have four in mind.  More good news enjoy the draft picks, or bad news enjoy the cap number because we are planning on making a splash.  Martins 2.0 has arrived for this off-season.

Thoughts on Rapid City:

If anyone is actually reading at this point.  Rapid City plans on actually competing next year.  They have an elite level coach, and I want to dedicate more to them this year.

You are known for your in depth articles, what is in store for 2018-19:

Right now, Mock Draft 4.0 in July, with a special guest GM in a joint article.  Hopefully another article/book with another GM during the down time of the off-season.  But that one you will have to wait, and See…….(attle).  And because I live my life in an overnight haze, a new yearbook for 18-19 is in the works.

Final thoughts for summer:

Listen to more Pantera.  RIP Vinny Paul.