Well, dear reader. It looks like we're heading towards another blazing hot summer. Get ready for sticky balls and sweaty armpits for the next four months, my friend. It's Las Vegas tradition, after all.
It also means another offseason where Kelly McCrimmon evaluates who stays and who goes. He must have The Clash stuck in his head until September rolls around. Now that's a trip.
Still, that means an endless array of speculation and wonder about who McCrimmon will sign. Will he go after Mitch Marner and anger the "no state income tax" people who aren't crying about who makes the rules (hint: It's not Gary Bettman)? Or will he get a cheaper signing like Nikolaj Ehlers or Brock Boeser?
More importantly, what will he do with his own team? With that, we're examining the three positional groups and identifying the biggest questions that need answers for each group. Hopefully, these questions don't melt your face off.
Forwards: Where will the team find scoring depth?
Of course, this isn't too much of a problem down the middle. Jack Eichel had a breakout season (28 goals and 94 points). Tomas Hertl broke the single-season power play goals record (14) for the Golden Knights. William Karlsson notched 20 assists despite suffering a couple of injuries.
But what about the winger group? Reilly Smith, Victor Olofsson, and Brandon Saad are set to hit the free agent market. Alexander Holtz (four goals and eight assists) was underwhelming last season. You can't shift Nicolas Roy to the wing because that's out of his comfort zone.
What do the Golden Knights do in this situation? Obviously, one big sticking point has been Mitch Marner (again) and with good reason. He scored 102 points this season and is looking to join either Vegas or Florida.
Other options loom, including Nikolaj Ehlers and Brock Boeser. Whatever the case, Vegas needs an answer quickly. Teams like the Oilers and Kings aren't going away any time soon and the Golden Knights need a big move to keep up.
Defensemen: Who stays and who goes?
The big question surrounding the defenseman group stems from the group's depth. Literally. The Golden Knights have eight blue liners they can work into their starting rotation. However, the group faces a reckoning next season with the emergence of Kaeden Korczak.
There's also the Nicolas Hague question, where he's a restricted free agent. ScotiaStats has him projected to earn three years and $3.7 million AAV in his new contract. However, others are projecting him to earn $4 million or more.
Will Kelly McCrimmon trade him and get some draft picks? What about Zach Whitecloud? He doesn't have a no-move clause, which will make things easier. What's more is that he carries a cap hit of $2.75 million. Whatever McCrimmon does, he must think of the long-term ramifications of the group.
Goaltending: Who could challenge Akira Schmid for the backup goaltender spot?
Akira Schmid had an impressive showing for the Golden Knights in his limited time. He posted a GAA of 1.26 and a save percentage of .944 in five games (three starts). He looked comfortable as Adin Hill's backup, taking the load off him.
But who could challenge Schmid for the backup spot next season? Could it be Carl Lindbom, who had a GAA of 2.65 and a save percentage of .912? Mind you, he was on a Henderson Silver Knights team that was as fun as open-heart surgery without anesthesia.
He could challenge for that second spot in the preseason and training camp. The good news about all this? It saves money since Vegas doesn't have to spend money on backups (Schmid carries a cap hit of $875,000).