The Vegas Golden Knights are set to look drastically different from last season. They traded away Pavel Dorofeyev, Kaedan Korczak, and Keegan Kolesar as a means to avoid future salary overloads. After all, you can't pay lower-line wingers and third-pair defensemen more than they deserve. That's why you take on $500,000 for a season of Parker Wotherspoon.
Anyway, the Golden Knights will have a different look for the 2026-27 season. They will be short a hard hitter, a goal scorer, and a defensive guy. But that doesn't mean that Vegas will suffer too badly. I mean, they play in the Pacific Division, for crying out loud.
This was the worst regular season division in the NHL last season. The Golden Knights finished with fewer wins than losses for the first time in franchise history, yet they still made the Stanley Cup Final. It helps to make bold moves during the regular season to right the ship.
Speaking of the regular season, watch out for these three players to surprise a lot of Golden Knights fans. These three names are flying under the radar for the 2026-27 season and are ready to shock Las Vegas. Get ready to get more familiar with these three players as the new season rolls in.
1.) Brett Howden
Last postseason, Howden led the NHL in goals scored (14). He had plenty of clutch moments during the Stanley Cup Final run, whether it was two goals in Game 2 of the Final or his game-winning short-handed goal in Game 5 against the Utah Mammoth.
The former first-round pick has shown that he's capable of being a solid goal-scorer for the Golden Knights. Considering that Pavel Dorofeyev is gone and he's projected to have Mitch Marner on his line to start, that gives him more opportunities to shine. Don't sleep on Howden as the 2026-27 season rolls around.
2.) Victor Olofsson
The last time Olofsson played on the Golden Knights, he had 15 goals and 14 assists. Six of those goals came on the power play, making him one of the most important man advantage players on the unit. Fans know what they're getting with the Swedish winger and should expect more of the same.
They should expect a solid shooter who snipes and plays the corners well. All of this comes on a one-year deal that comes relatively cheap (roughly $1.64 million). Watch for Olofsson to thrive in 2026-27 in his second Vegas residency.
3.) Carter Hart
The Golden Knights had some dead weight on the blue line, namely Kaedan Korczak. They also had some players who weren't 100% during the Stanley Cup Final run. Yet, that didn't stop Hart from stealing the Western Conference Final.
Also, he was let down by defensive zone turnovers and bad play in the Stanley Cup Final. Yes, the stats show that he allowed four goals in most games. However, that shouldn't deter fans with Parker Wotherspoon coming in for Korczak. Hart will thrive with a healthy defensive group in front of him.
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