Vegas Golden Knights: Possible Line Combinations Part 2

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 – Cody Eakin – Reilly Smith

Erik Haula – Vadim Shipachyov – Jonathan Marchessault

David Perron – William Karlsson – Cody Glass

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – Oscar Lindberg – Teemu Pulkkinen

This lineup involves some players who did not make my last article’s lineup. Some players have been moved around to different lines while others did not make the roster. The first line consists of Neal, Eakin and Smith. Neal is a scoring forward and could bring out the offence in Eakin’s game. Smith had a down season last year but can be improved with the help of Neal and Eakin. This line could surprise a lot of teams if they work well together.

The second line includes Haula, Shipachyov and Marchessault. Haula was not included in yesterday’s lineup but can be a crucial piece to the Knights’ second line. Haula and Shipachyov’s playmaking abilities could work really well with Marchessault’s ability to put the puck in the net. This line can be a scoring line for the Knights.

Perron, Karlsson and Glass make up the third line. Glass is a rookie and may surprise Vegas in training camp, forcing them to put him in the lineup. Perron and Karlsson can be a nice duo on the line and I think they would play well together because of their similar playing styles. Add in Glass to the mix and I think they could be an effective line for Vegas.

Possible Defence Lines

Jason Garrison – Colin Miller

Jake Bischoff – Deryk Engelland

Jon Merrill – Nate Schmidt

As stated in my last article, the Knights’ have a lot of defenceman and thus, they have a lot of options. I believe Garrison will lead their defensive core since he has the most experience. The first pairing consists of Garrison and Miller. Vegas could use this pairing to help improve Miller’s game. They could use Garrison to mentor Miller which could help Miller and Vegas in the long run.

Bischoff and Engelland make up the team’s second pairing. Bischoff has never played in the NHL but was a successful player in college and if he can translate his game to the NHL, he could be a top four talent for Vegas. The Knights could put Engelland beside him to help his transition to the big leagues be easier.

The third pairing is Merrill and Schmidt. I believe they could work well together. Both are strong skaters and have NHL experience – not much but every bit counts. If they do not work out then Vegas has more options that can work such as bringing up Shea Theodore or Luca Sbisa.

Possible Goaltenders

Marc-Andre Fleury

Oscar Dansk

Fleury is Vegas’ man, he is the face of the franchise. With his experience, I can see them using him for a couple of seasons to allow another goaltender to grow.

Dansk is a good option for the backup role. He is still young so he has time to grow. The Knights’ are most likely hoping that Dansk can grow into a starter by the time that Fleury’s career is coming to an end.

These lines can be effective for Vegas or they can not work out. Most of these players have never played together before so they will have to make chemistry with each other quick or else their season could be very bad.

Next: Expansion Draft Buffalo Sabres (4/30)

As an expansion team, they will have to work together to prove all of their doubters wrong.

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