Hockey can be a funny sport sometimes. You buy some stock in a player through the NHL Draft, hoping that they'll turn out to become a productive player. The bad news is that not everyone is destined to become a superstar like Jack Eichel or Connor McDavid. That explains why the Vegas Golden Knights don't draft and develop "the right way". Instead, they get big names.
But we're not here to talk about Eichel since everyone knows how great he is. He's the team's literal heartbeat, providing ample offense and excellent two-way play for the Golden Knights. You couldn't have asked for more from a franchise face, especially since you've searched for a game-changing center for the longest time possible.
Instead, we're discussing the fringe players on the roster. Or, close to the fringe, at least. Some players are guaranteed to have their spot secured unless it's by way of a catastrophic collapse. If they suddenly fall apart? Well, they're in trouble.
In this case, we're looking at three players for this article. These players must show that they're worth every penny during the preseason. Otherwise, they're in deep trouble and could face a demotion. Worse, they could face a life without being on the Golden Knights roster.
1.) Alexander Holtz
The obvious candidate. When the Golden Knights acquired the winger from the New Jersey Devils, the ceiling was limitless. Scoring 16 goals before being traded to the Golden Knights inspired the fanbase. But there was one small problem: Holtz didn't perform.
He's only scored seven goals and 14 assists in his two-year residency with the Golden Knights. That goal total is less than half of what he scored in 2023-24. If he doesn't show signs of life during the preseason, he'll lose his spot in the forward group like he did in 2024-25.
2.) Braeden Bowman
Last season, Bowman scored eight goals and 18 assists in 54 games with the Golden Knights. The undrafted rookie came in and took on a role that normally shouldn't be bestowed upon a player in his early 20's, yet he excelled and provided an offensive sparks for Vegas.
But the question heading into the preseason is will he retain that momentum for 2026-27? When you rip a good statline as an undrafted rookie, you suddenly have some eyeballs on you. That'll certainly be the case for Bowman, who is projected to make the team's 12-forward group.
3.) Parker Wotherspoon
Now, you can make a case that Marc Gatcomb can be slotted here. He hasn't done too much during his short NHL career and could prove himself to be a valuable fourth-line winger. However, let's go with Wotherspoon for one stat: His 27 assists last season.
That's a daunting number for a defenseman to pull off. When you consider that 15 of those assists were secondary, that's ripe for a major pullback. That's why Wotherspoon must prove himself during the preseason. Otherwise, he'll be one-and-done in Las Vegas, making his $500,000 cap hit easily disposable.
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