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New FSM Feature: Vegas Golden Knights 2024-2025 Season Preview

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Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights will look to compete for the top of the Pacific Division once again with a rebuilt lineup following key departures in the offseason. The story for the Golden Knights is how this veteran lineup will mix with new key pickups and pipeline players.

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The Las Vegas Golden Knights have some new faces to mix in with some fan favorites as they look to continue the same goal production from previous years. The Golden Knights should expect the playoffs and look to get past the first round, in which they fell to Dallas last year.

The Golden Knights lost 4 of their biggest stars who have been with the team for a long time and who were major parts of the offense and defense. Coach Bruce Cassidy is going into his 3rd year with the Golden Knights and has had his most significant change in the team yet.

Coach Cassidy has a ton of trust in his vet players and will get some fresh play from pipeline and offseason pickups. We should expect nothing less of making the playoffs again with a revamped squad that’s hungry to win. We also should expect newer faces to take more prominent roles on the team this year, with some youngsters looking to pop this year.

Now, let’s break down the Golden Knights by position and discuss what we can expect from each group. We will also discuss what lines we should see during the regular season.

Golden Knights Centers :

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The Golden Knights center position is one of the more experienced and newest positions going into the season with the departures of Stars Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson. Marchessault and Stepenson combined for 58 goals and 62 assists last season, leaving a gap in the offense.

The Golden Knights return seven centers, headed by stars Jack Echiel and William Karlsson. Karlsson is coming off his best year last season, in which he finished with 30 goals, 30 assists, and a 15 +-.

Echiel is coming off his best season with the Golden Knights, in which he finished with 31 goals, 37 assists, and a 4 +-. The Golden Knights will need both stars to replicate or better their 23-24 season stats due to off-season departures. These two stars will head the first two lines for the Golden Knights this upcoming season.

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Echiel will most likely be paired up on his line with another star center, Ivan Barbashev, who is coming off an impressive year with 19 goals and 26 Assists. Fans will also get to see more of Tomas Hertle, who became a fan favorite here in Las Vegas. Hertle only played six games for the Golden Knights, ending with two goals, 2 Assists, and a 2+-, but had 15 goals, 19 assists, 46 blocked shots, and 22 takeaways. We can expect Hertle to find his mark with the Golden Knights as he heads a 3rd line with Alexander Holtz and Nicholas Roy, who was an assist machine last season, ending with 28.

Some new faces on the Golden Knights who have made a splash early in the preseason are Brendan Brisson, who was called up from the Silver Knights, and Zach Aston-Reese, who came over from the Red Wings. Brendan Brisson only played in 15 games for the Golden Knights year last year and is looking to make the jump to full-time this season. Zach Aston-Reese has started the preseason off hot, scoring two goals in a preseason win against the Avalanche. The vet is looking to stay in the NHL as he will serve on a line with Golden Knights Vet Bret Howden, who is also looking for a better upcoming season.

The Golden Knights will have many veterans and new pipeline players. Overall, the Centers need to step up this season and carry a bulk of the load for the Golden Knights.

Golden Knights Forwards:

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The Golden Knights’ forward position is headed by Captain Mark Stone’s full return from injury and Star William Carrier’s departure.

Mark Stone will need to step up big for the Golden Knights once again to help carry the winger load.

The star got injured last season and sat out until playoffs started, but was still able to put up 16 goals, 37 Assists, and a 1 +-. Stone is a massive target who has mastered sitting in front of the net and redirecting shots.

Stone is also a huge factor on the defensive side, with 62 takeaways and 40 blocked shots. Fans could tell Stone was not 100% in the playoffs, so there should be a big emphasis on keeping him healthy this year.

We can expect Stone to be on the same line as Karlsson and left-winger Pavel Dorofeyev. Dorofeyev had an impressive season last year, ending with 13 goals and 11 Assists. He has gotten better every year since joining the league, so don’t be surprised if he makes a considerable jump this year, as he already had a hat trick in the preseason against the Sharks.

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Keagan Kolesar is supposed to have another great year with eight goals, ten assists, 41 blocked shots, and 22 takeaways. Kolesar will look to take a higher role this year and pump those numbers up on the offensive side.

The Golden Knights made a move this past off-season to acquire Alexander Holtz from the New Jersey Devils. Holtz is just like Dorofeyev, who has gotten better every year since joining the league. Hotlz is a player-coach Bruce Cassidy wants to see make the jump this year and has put him in lines with some veterans on the team.

Both these young stars want to make the jump this year, so don’t be surprised if we see some great numbers from the two. The Golden Knights also acquired winger Victor Olofsson, who came over from a long career with Buffalo. Last year was a down year for Olofsson, but he looks to bounce back in a line with Echiel and Barbashev.

Winger is one of the Golden Knights‘ youngest positions, but with outstanding leadership from Stone, they want to make the jump that will make this a fun group to watch this year.

Golden Knights Defenders :

Due to seven key returners, the Golden Knights‘ defenders are one of the strongest sides going into the 2024-2025 season. The Golden Knights were above league defensive stats average last year and look to have a top-10 defense this season even though they lost Alec Martinez, who was a massive part of the team.

The Golden Knights are known for their zone defense, which clogs up the middle and allows players to be aggressive behind the net and in the slot.

The first pair of defensive men are veteran Golden Knight Players Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore. Pietrangelo is a big body for the Golden Knights, who had 160 block shots and 50 takeaways. Theodore is considered one of the best shootout defensemen in the league who can play tough minutes down the stretch. This will be a new pairing for the two, but both are ranked in the top 50 for defensive men, so this could turn out to be a massive win for the Golden Knights. They will also play a huge part in the offensive game, as they combined for 66 assists last year. This could end up as one of the best defensive duos in the league.

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The second defensive line paired together has Noah Hannifin, who the Golden Knights traded for last season, and familiar face Nicolas Hague. Hannifin had two goals and ten assists, making 13 goals and 34 assists, along with 121 blocked shots and 59 takeaways. This is going to be big for Nicolas Hague, who hasn’t broken through just yet for the Golden Knights, to play with a vet like Hannifin.

The last defensive line for the Golden Knights that we should see will feature Brayden McNabb and Zach Whitecloud. Whitecloud did have a -3 +- last season, but overall, it has been a constant for the Golden Knights since entering the league in 2018. Brayden McNabb is a vet who had his best season with the nights this past season, ending with four goals, 22 assists, and an 18 +-. McNabb Is a tough, big body who is excellent in his own zone and isn’t afraid to get in front of shots.

Some other defensemen include Kaeden Korczak, who has been a constant for the nights over the last three seasons, ending last season. Korczak will most likely share a line with Brett Howden and Zach Aston-Reese, which will be an exciting line for the knights as they try to mix. Ben Hutton is supposed to have a better year than last, in which he finished with 31 blocked shots, two goals, and eight assists. The Golden Knights have plenty of pipeline players from the Silver Knights, such as Mason Morelli, who we might see throughout the season.

Overall, the Golden Knights are a well-oiled defensive team that should stay at the top like in previous years. Young guys will get some great experience playing with this veteran group.

Golden Knights Goalie situation :

The Golden Knights will have quite the goalie situation to start the season. The Golden Knights lost former goalie Logan Thomas this offseason in a trade to the Capitals, allowing Adin Hill to become the full-time starter. Hill had a great season with the Golden Knights, averaging only 2.7 Ga and a .909 Save percentage, and went 19-12-2 with two shutouts last season. These are great stats that will hopefully propel Adin Hill to do even better in 2024-25, becoming the full-time starter.

The Golden Knights went looking for a backup quickly and were able to trade for New Jersey goalie Akria Schmid. Schmid had a pretty good 2023-2024 averaging 3.15 Ga, a .895 Save percentage, and went 5-9-1 last season. Schmid looks to overtake the backup spot to Adin Hill.

Schmid will not have an easy time securing that backup spot, as the Golden Knights recently signed Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samansov on a one-year deal. Samansov was one of Toronto’s main goalies, averaging 3.13 Ga and a .890 save percentage and going 23-7-8. The vet is in close competition with Schmid to claim the backup spot before the season starts, as both have had great preseason outings.

The last goalie to look out for is 6’5 “rookie Pavel Moysevich, who was drafted 83rd this year by the Golden Knights. He played in the Russian Hockey League, averaging 1.25 GA, .942 save Percentage, and going 3-2-2. Moysevich will look to improve his skill with the Silver Knights, but don’t be surprised if we see him in some games for the Golden Knights this year!

Adin Hill is set to have a great season for the Golden Knights, but he can rely on his two backups, who have had great outings so far.

Golden Knights Power Play :

The Golden Knights will look to boost up their power play this season, which sat in the middle of the pack among teams last year. The first line is star-studded and starts with Captain Mark Stone, Tomas Hertle, Jack Echiel, Noah Hanifin, and Victor Olofsson.

The first line has some experience under its belt, but it will be interesting to see how last year’s trades, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertle, fit into the bunch. This line has already scored two power-play goals in the preseason, so let’s hope it carries over to the regular season.

The second power play line is headed by William Karrsison, Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, Alexander Holtz, and Ivan Barbashev. With the addition of Alexander Holtz, we see some more Golden Knight vets play in this line. This line should complement the first line nicely, as most of the players have played together for a while now.

Overall, we should see a jump in production from the power play this year due to a veteran first lineup mixed in with a younger second line.

Golden Knights Line Expectation :

Line Parings:

First line – Ivan Barbashev, Jack Eichel, Victor Olofsson
Second Line – Pavel Dorofeyev, William Karlsson, Mark Stone
Third Line – Alexander Holtz, Tomas Hertl, Nicolas Roy
Fourth Line – Keegan Kolesar, Brett Howden, Zach Aston-Reese

Defensive Parings:

First Pair – Shea Theodore, Alex Pietrangelo
Second Pair – Noah Hanifin, Nicolas Hague
Third Pair – Brayden McNabb, Zach Whitecloud

Power Play Units:

First Unit – Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, Victor Olofsson, Jack Eichel, And Sea Theodore
Second Unit – Ivan Barbashez, William Karlsson, Alexander Holtz, Alex Pietrangelo, Noah Hanifin

Penalty kill Units:

First Unit – Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Noah Hanifin, Alex Pietrangelo
Second Unit – William Karlsson, Nicolas Roy, Nicolas Hague, Brayden McNabb

Goalie Unit:

Starter – Adin Hill
Back-Up – Ilya Samsonov / Schmid

The Las Vegas Golden Knights start the regular season against the Avalanche here at home on October 9th. Puck drop is at 7 pm. Thank you for visiting FranchiseSportsMedia.com for your Las Vegas Sports news.