I don't put much stock into what Friedman or his Sportsnet buddies say about smaller non-Canadian markets. They put out a lot of baseless crap this past summer about the Golden Knights.
Having said that, it's pretty obvious VGK need another PMD that's quicker and more aggressive than Holden and they're not ready to call up Schuldt and Coghlan just yet.
And, sad to say, Engo should have retired....the speed was never there, but it's at the detriment level now.
Merrill is supposed to be the aggressive one, with Holden the traditional blueline patroller, and Merrill was surprising me earlier in the season. Of late, though, he's been looking more like the guy who had me throwing slippers at the TV last year (I can't afford to replace the TV). Holden has been surprisingly stable in his role.
The bottom line is that we may be able to afford to bring in a PMD of bottom 2 caliber by TDL, but we take the risk that he's just another Merrill. I don't think Schuldt is ready, and I'm not convinced Coghlan adds much more than Hague does at this point in time. The bottom line to me is that the way the O lines are playing as a whole, moving in even elite PMD would be akin to adding shiny new fuel injectors to an engine that has a cracked block. Just too many turnovers...blind passes to nowhere but the opposition, panic dump-ins that are automatic turnovers, passes fumbled off sticks.