Ladies and gentlemen, we have one preseason game left. The Vegas Golden Knights will take on the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, finishing up a preseason matinee that saw names like Trevor Connelly and Alexander Holtz compete for roster spots. After that? Opening Knight against the Chicago Blackhawks.
That means some players will be trimmed down like the fat off hunted prey. The Golden Knights need 23 players on their roster for the 2026-27 season, after all. If not? Well, the fans will cry foul again (like they always do with Vegas) and Gary Bettman will likely punish them. Or not. Depends on his mood.
Of course, that will come with immense pressure with the regular season coming up. Who will make the roster? Who needs to make the roster more than they need to breathe? They better make a lasting impression if they're playing on Saturday because the chopping block is near.
With that, three players come to mind before the regular season starts. These three names better get their butts into gear if they get the call on Saturday. The Golden Knights need them to show something before they get exiled to a remote island. Here's who needs to show something before season's end.
Adin Hill
Golden Knights fans saw the classic Adin Hill performance on Thursday. The netminder allowed four goals against the Utah Mammoth, signaling that his prior problems reared their ugly heads. Stopping 17 of 21 shots isn't exactly helping your case among Golden Knights fans, you know?
Is it the lingering injuries that are holding him back? Is it the pressure of living up to a six-year contract worth $6.25 million AAV getting to him? Whatever the case, Hill has an undue amount of pressure on him to perform this season. Otherwise, he'll be relegated to obscurity.
Alexander Holtz
Alexander Holtz has been effective during the preseason for the Golden Knights. He scored a goal against the Sharks on Saturday in a 2-1 shootout win, registering four shots. Granted, that was his only start for Vegas. However, it showed what he's capable of with new leadership in Ryan Craig.
Will that be enough to persuade the Golden Knights' management into keeping him around a little longer? Or has he burned through his chances? If he gets one more opportunity, he must make the most of it. Otherwise, it might be curtains for the former first-round pick.
Rasmus Andersson
When the defenseman signed a seven-year extension with the Golden Knights over the summer, the premise was that Andersson would improve on his 2025-26 campaign. That's a low bar to clear, considering that he had six assists during last season's Stanley Cup Final run.
Can Andersson actually do more with his 2026-27 season since he's exempt from dealing with visa issues and the like? Or will it become similar to the Adin Hill situation, only without the injuries? That'll be the big question as the Swedish Olympian steps onto the ice in the second year of his Vegas residency.
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