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Golden Edge mailbag: Vegas Knights’ playoff chances

Send NHL writer Ben Gotz all your Golden Knights questions and hot takes. Tweet him @BenSGotz or email him bgotz@reviewjournal.com.

Questions on anything and everything dominated the Golden Edge mailbag this week, including one on the Philadelphia Flyers’ new mascot Gritty. Might Golden Knights’ mascot Chance have a new rival? The answer is below:

“On a scale of 1-10 how likely will the VGK get to the playoffs again?” — Janna

Eight seems fair entering the season.

Since 16 of the 31 teams in the NHL make the playoffs the Knights have pretty good odds without even factoring in the strength of their roster. Then considering the skill of their top two forward lines and their top goaltender (Marc-Andre Fleury), it’s hard to imagine that they’ll finish outside the top-eight in the Western Conference.

Injuries could always change things, and winning the division again should be difficult with the additions the San Jose Sharks have made. But it’s fair to expect this team to be back in the postseason.

“I wonder how many (fans at practice) are on the #Brannwagon…” – @TheGildedJester

Maybe less than there were before Monday.

Knights prospect Erik Brannstrom has easily been the story of training camp, but he came back down to earth a little with a shaky performance in the team’s preseason game Monday against the Colorado Avalanche. He finished with a team-worst plus-minus of minus-3 and created a 2-on-0 for the Avalance when he fell on the power play.

That said, Brannstrom has two goals, two assists and one game-winning shootout move this preseason at only 19. He might not make the team’s final roster, but that doesn’t make his future any less bright.

“Does (new Flyers mascot Gritty) wear pants?” – @EthPlainfield

Short answer: Yes (Specifically, breezers). Long answer: Let’s talk about the monstrosity the Flyers unleashed on the world this week.

The orange, bearded creature is all sorts of weird, and not just because of his creepy eyes and his Kim Kardashian pose on Twitter.

Making matters weirder (or certainly more interesting) is the fact that Knights’ mascot Chance decided to join in once the internet started hurling insults at Gritty. The gila monster asked on Twitter on Tuesday if he should send a thank you card to Philadelphia since the new guy is making him look better by comparison.

Here’s hoping Gritty shows up to the Knights’ season opener against the Flyers on Oct. 4 and there’s some sort of competition between he and Chance. It’s what the world needs.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.

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