Vegas Golden Knights: Biggest observations from the preseason so far

We are just over a week away until the start of the regular season and the start of year three for the Vegas Golden Knights as an NHL franchise.

With just three exhibition games left, the Vegas Golden Knights are hurtling towards October and it won’t be long before they can look back at Training Camp and the preseason in the rear view mirror.

There is still work to be done, however, with roster spots still up grabs, a last chance saloon for some rookies when it comes to standing out and the need to finalize line combinations and systems for when the proper stuff gets underway.

The Golden Knights have been perfect throughout the preseason so far with a 4-0-0 record, outscoring their opponents 17-5 in the process. It has been a largely positive Training Camp, too, and preparations for the home opener on Oct, 2 are progressing nicely.

So, with half of the preseason done and dusted, we felt it was the perfect time to present our biggest takeaways and observations from the preseason so far…

1. There’s a buzz brewing

As we all know, winning or losing in the preseason doesn’t mean anything and it certainly won’t have any bearing on the regular season, whether you light it up in exhibition games or stink it up.

However, and as we explained in detail in a piece you can read here, winning in preseason can generate a buzz around the team and it can help to cultivate a winning mentality in the locker room.

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The Golden Knights have been perfect in exhibition games so far with a 4-0-0 record and, although they won’t win any championships for what they achieve out on the ice during this time of the year, they are generating momentum that they can carry through October and the opening month of the regular season.

That is significant because Vegas has an incredibly tough start to the regular season – a double-header against the San Sharks, a matchup against last year’s Stanley Cup finalists in the Boston Bruins, a road game at the much-improved Arizona Coyotes and a tilt against the Calgary Flames.

And all within the opening two weeks of the regular season.

So, while we shouldn’t read too much into the Golden Knights going on an absolute tear in the preseason, there is something to be said about winning breeds confidence and if they can finish their slate of exhibition games with a flourish, then maybe the momentum created will help this team fly out of the traps when it really matters.

2. Veterans ready to go

You know what you are going to get in the early stages of preseason and that is lineup cards filled with rookies and high-end prospects, with a handful of established veterans sprinkled in for good measure.

That has been the case for the Golden Knights over the last week or so who have only played a few of their top guns together at any one time, not that they have needed too much ice time by what we have seen so far.

Marc-Andre-Fleury, Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault and Nate Schmidt are just some of the stars to have played only one or two games but stolen the show when they have been on the ice.

Fleury made his preseason debut against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and absolutely dominated, stopping 28 of 29 shots fired at him and producing a couple of superb pad saves.

Both Stone and Marchessault have come up clutch in key moments to help the Knights maintain their perfect record in the preseason so far, with the latter scoring the Overtime winner against the LA Kings last week.

It is hugely encouraging for the Golden Knights to have so many of their big weapons locked in and firing on all cylinders all ready, and hopefully that will translate through to the regular season.

And that leads us nicely into our next takeaway…

3. Patches is patch-tastic

Excuse our terrible pun but we’ve run out of superlatives to describe Max Pacioretty‘s play in the preseason so far.

Again, while we know that you can’t read too much into what happens in exhibition games, Pacioretty has arguably been one of the standout preseason performers for the Golden Knights so far and he looks to be in midseason form already.

With two exhibition games under his belt, Pacioretty has four goals and three assists for seven points including a three point game (one goal, two assists) against the San Jose Sharks last time out.

He’s been outstanding and has formed promising chemistry with both Cody Glass (more on him later) and Alex Tuch (more on him later too), while showing off his wicked release and elite playmaking abilities.

Not only that, but Pacioretty has also competed hard from the very get-go in the preseason, including dishing out that crunching hit against the Arizona Coyotes in the opening exhibition game, and he looks dialed in already.

This year is going to be a big one for the veteran forward who will have a full year with Mark Stone and Paul Stastny on his line. Pacioretty recorded 22 goals and 18 assists for 40 points in 66 games for the Golden Knights in 2018-19, including an additional 11 points (five goals, six assists) in the postseason.

Pacioretty is a model professional and he is well equipped to navigating the bumps and bruises and ups and downs you experience in a gruelling 82-game NHL regular season schedule. He is also an elite scoring wing too and if he can carry his hot start into next week then that will help the Golden Knights’ chances of flying out of the traps in October greatly.

5. Cody Glass made for the big time

We’ve spoken about the Golden Knights’ young phenom plenty over the last couple of weeks, but that’s what happens when you make the impact the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft has so far during the preseason.

Arriving at Rookie Camp looking to impress and earn a spot on the opening night roster, Glass has been phenomenal throughout the preseason and he’s proving over and over again why he is considered a generational talent.

Playing center on a top line and also playing on the wing, Glass has wowed in the exhibition games he’s played in, showing off his elite playmaking ability and laying on three assists.

He can read the open ice like no other and the way he can unlock a defence with a sublime dish is extraordinary.

Glass also plays with a maturity that belies his young years and he has done everything that has been asked of him by the coaching staff, including playing in an alien role on the wing.

And that will be where Glass will call home if he does indeed win a spot on the opening night roster, given that there is a left wing role on the third line to play alongside Cody Eakin and Alex Tuch with his name on it.

There is intense competition for that one roster spot with Brandon Pirri, Valentin Zykov and Tomas Nosek all doing their utmost to make it their own, but Glass has absolutely dominated in the preseason so far and he’ll have a couple more games at least to cement his name on that opening night lineup card.

But, one thing is for certain and that is the fact that the Vegas Golden Knights have got one hell of an elite talent on their hands who looks set to morph into an absolute powerhouse in the NHL.

6. Blueline competition intensifying

The battle for that one open roster spot on the blueline has been raging on all throughout Training Camp and it is only hotting up the closer we get to the start of the regular season.

Dylan Coghlan, Nic Hague, Jake Bischoff, Jimmy Schuldt and Zach Whitecloud have all impressed at times in the exhibition games they have played in and, for some of these high-end prospects, Wednesday’s preseason tilt against the Colorado Avalanche will be their last chance to catch the eye of the coaching staff.

Schuldt was seen as the frontrunner for the roster spot prior to Training Camp getting underway, but it is fair to suggest that he has been overtaken by both Coghlan and Hague, with the former arguably leading the chasing pack at the moment.

Coghlan has been outstanding in the exhibition games he’s played in and he has huge offensive upside having proved that he can jump up and join the play. Plus, he boasts one hell of a slapshot.

Hague can also provide offensive production but he’s an absolute offensive specimen at 6’6″ and 214 lbs. He has outstanding reach and he’s hugely responsible within his own zone. Hague is very skilled for a big man and he could be one to watch in the final three preseason games.

Bischoff, Schuldt and Whitecloud have all had their moments, too, and this slugfest for that one remaining open roster spot on the blueline will be fascinating to watch over the coming days as October edges ever closer.

7. Zykov the secret weapon?

Valentin Zykov’s NHL career hasn’t quite panned out as he would have hoped so far and after failed stints with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Edmonton Oilers, he seems to be on his last-chance saloon with the Vegas Golden Knights.

And, after tallying just two points (two goals) in 10 games last year, it wasn’t looking rosy for Zykov in Sin City either.

However, the Russian reported to Training Camp leaner, meaner and with a brand new attitude and it has paid off handsomely so far.

Opting to spend his entire summer in Vegas in order to grind and get used to his surroundings, Zykov is currently reaping the rewards from all of his labor and he could find himself on the opening night roster.

Through three preseason games he has registered two goals and an assist, showcasing his lethal combination of skill and strength coupled with his playmaking ability. He looks a different player and he will have at least one more opportunity to try and stake his claim for the left wing role on the third line.

Soft, silky hands, a thunderous shot and a bucketload of skill, Zykov has the talent to succeed in the NHL and he could well prove to be a secret weapon for the Golden Knights in 2019-20, whether he’s on the opening night roster or not.