WINNIPEG, Manitoba — When the Golden Knights entered the offseason in search of a depth defenseman, a few players offered their input to general manager George McPhee before they scattered for the summer.
The message was unified. They didn’t care about points or advanced analytics or Norris trophies.
What they wanted was someone who would mesh with the locker room culture that was created during the Knights’ inaugural season.
“When I talked to George at the end of last year — and a lot of guys said it — we really want to continue to have good people,” defenseman Nate Schmidt said.