Pete DeBoer assesses Golden Knights’ roster before trade deadline

Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer isn’t going to turn away any reinforcements that arrive before the trade deadline.

But if the team stands pat ahead of April 12, he’s fine with that, too.

“I don’t think there’s a coach in any sport in the world that doesn’t feel that an addition somewhere in some area can help them,” DeBoer said after the morning skate Wednesday. “At the same time, if this is the group that we go to war with down the stretch and into the playoffs, then I’m comfortable there, too.”

The Knights are back to full strength with the return of Alex Pietrangelo, who was activated from long-term injured reserve. The defenseman missed the past 12 games with an upper-body injury after blocking a shot in the final minutes of a victory March 6 at San Jose.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon said two weeks ago he likes the makeup of the current roster and feels no urgency to make a deal.

Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner form the NHL’s top goalie tandem, and the development of Dylan Coghlan during Pietrangelo’s absence gives the Knights eight capable defensemen.

The one area that McCrimmon could seek to improve on the trade market is secondary scoring. The Knights have an extra second-round pick in 2021 and might look at bolstering the third-line center spot.

Center Cody Glass, the No. 6 overall pick in 2017, was assigned to the American Hockey League as he struggles to generate offense at five-on-five. Nicolas Roy had two points in his past 20 appearances and no goals since Feb. 9 entering Wednesday’s game against Los Angeles.

“I think we’ve shown that we’ve got depth. We’ve got guys that can play up and down the lineup,” DeBoer said. “I think we’re really strong from a depth perspective especially in goal and on defense. Those for me are the two areas that are really critical come playoff time.”

College rivalry

Alex Tuch followed the NCAA hockey tournament closely last week, and the former Boston College standout was disappointed to see the Eagles fall short of the Frozen Four.

Tuch’s younger brother, Luke, is a freshman at Boston University, which was bounced in the first round of the tournament. Had BU won its first game, the Terriers would have faced Boston College in the region final.

“It would have been hard to watch him maybe beat up on my old Eagles there, but I was rooting for my little brother and I always will,” Tuch said.

Massachusetts is the lone team from outside Minnesota remaining in the tournament, but Tuch made it clear he won’t be pulling for Boston College’s Hockey East rival when play resumes next week in Pittsburgh.

“Never. I will never root for UMass,” Tuch said, turning serious. “Doesn’t matter if it’s Amherst or Lowell, I will never root for UMass.”

DiLiberatore to minors

Defenseman Peter DiLiberatore, who celebrated his 21st birthday Wednesday, was reassigned to the Silver Knights.

DiLiberatore signed his entry-level contract Monday after a three-year career at Quinnipiac. He is one of 10 defensemen on the AHL team’s roster.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.