Looking at the Vegas Golden Knights' defenseman group, you'll see a roster filled with plenty of starters. There's the extended defenseman group in Rasmus Andersson and Jeremy Lauzon, two men ready to turn the skeptics into believers. There's also the old guard, consisting of the Misfits, Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore. Then, you have an Olympic gold medalist in Noah Hanifin and guys like Parker Wotherspoon.
Heck, you can even go as far as Dylan Coghlan as being part of the mix! The softball hero is returning for two more years of his residency, constituting a $875,000 salary cap hit. While this group sounds nice and all, there's one Finnish name that you're not thinking about. In fact, you barely recognized him before taking a complete look at the Golden Knights' roster.
His name? Ville Heinola. You probably don't know too much about him, so here's the skinny. He's a former 2019 first-round NHL Draft pick who spent time in Finland's Liiga as a 17-year-old. Heinola has played in the NHL for six seasons, only scoring a goal and 11 assists (58 career NHL games). However, he's made his bread and butter at the AHL level with the Manitoba Moose.
Here, he's scored 26 goals and 98 assists in eight seasons (198 games played). If the Henderson Silver Knights need more puck-moving defensemen, there's nobody more well-suited for the job than Heinola. After all, you're expected to find someone to come in and fill the void, right?
But what makes him special for the Golden Knights? Moreover, does he have a chance at cracking the main roster and challenging for the seventh defenseman spot? Let's get to know the Finnish defenseman and sing some Korpiklaani in the process. Here's what Heinola brings to the table for the Golden Knights in the 2026-27 season.
Where does Ville Heinola lie within the Vegas Golden Knights' apparatus?
Let's be 100% honest for a second. On paper, Heinola doesn't have a shot in h*ll of making the defenseman group for the upcoming season. His only hope is that Parker Wotherspoon falls out of favor quickly, which doesn't seem likely. How would you replace 27 assists from last season with someone who hasn't produced that much in his career?
Plus, the Finnish defenseman isn't the most effective stick-handler. He tends to get pickpocketed easily, leading to odd-man rushes the other way. Plus, the 25-year-old isn't the strongest player around, specifically in the defensive zone.
Still, there's plenty that Heinola brings to the table. For one, he's a smart offensive player who can read defenses without a hitch. You can also count on him to log plenty of minutes and skate well, which is a must in the Golden Knights' system. Add in his knack for moving the puck and the former first-round pick can cause problems.
He might seem like a long shot to make the Golden Knights roster on paper. But he can add more to the Silver Knights, specifically with his upside. Hey, every bit counts when you're trying to head back to the Calder Cup playoffs.
Add us as a preferred source on Google