Vegas Golden Knights: Possible Line Combinations Part 1
The NHL preseason is starting in less than a month, therefore, the Vegas Golden Knights need to figure out their lines.
This will be a new series in which I will take a look at different line combinations that the Vegas Golden Knights can use this upcoming season.
Possible Forward Lines
James Neal – Vadim Shipachyov – Jonathan Marchessault
David Perron – Cody Eakin – Reilly Smith
Teemu Pulkkinen – William Karlsson – Alex Tuch
Pierre Edouard Bellemare – Oscar Lindberg – Brendan Leipsec
Vegas has a lot of young guys who have not proven themselves in the NHL yet and could work their way up the lineup. That being said, this is what I think the best offensive forward lines they could make. Neal is a scoring forward and Shipachyov’s playmaking abilities could work well with him. Add in Marchessault to the line and that can be an effective first line for the team.
The second line is a little more defensive. All three players have defensive attributes and but can also chip in offensively. Perron and Eakin are the two better players on the line and are known for being great two-way players. Also, Smith had a down year last season but if he can find his position on this line, they can be a very good second line.
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The third line is very interesting. Both Pulkkinen and Tuch don’t have much NHL experience but they can both add to the lineup. Add in Karlsson to the line and they can be an offensive third line for the Knights. Pulkkinen and Tuch can put the puck in the net and can set up a goal, plus Karlsson is a good playmaker. This line could surprise a lot of people.
Their fourth line is a mixture of the other three line’s playing styles. You have the second line’s two-way game in Bellemare, the playmaking ability of Lindberg matches the third line’s playing style, and the first line’s scoring ability matches Leipsic. This works out well for any injuries because any of those three guys can jump up the lineup if needed.
Possible Defence Lines
Jason Garrison – Deryk Engelland
Shea Theodore – Colin Miller
Nate Schmidt – Brayden McNabb
The Knights have a lot of defenceman that can play in the NHL for them. There are a lot of different lineups they can have which is a good thing if certain lines do not work for them. The first pairing is a veteran line. They have played in the NHL for a long time and can take the other team’s top lines until the younger players are ready.
The second pairing can be a great duo for the team. Both players are great skaters and can help offensively as well. Both players are young and still growing and can be a very good pairing now and in the future.
Schmidt and McNabb are the third pairing. With how many players the Knights have, this pairing can be changed if things do not work out well. Both players can skate and can play defensively but they just need to find a good partner to get them going. Hopefully they can be that for each other.
Possible Goaltenders
Marc-Andre Fleury
Calvin Pickard
The starting role will not change in any of my predictions. Vegas knows who their starter is just like all hockey fans do. Fleury is their man.
The backup position will most likely go to Pickard but can go to other goaltenders (who you will find about later) if Pickard does not do well.
Next: Expansion Draft: Boston Bruins (3/30)
Vegas has a lot of players who can play in the NHL but not many who are first line talent. They will have to use their depth wisely if they want to compete with the rest of the NHL teams.