Sometimes, life presents you with a "golden" opportunity. It can come in the form of many things, from someone pulling out of a job promotion or the girl you like suddenly becoming single (just don't do any creepy stuff, alright?). It's what makes life a beautiful thing, especially when you're looking to better yourself.
For Kaeden Korczak, that means getting a spot in the Vegas Golden Knights lineup. Shea Theodore suffered a broken wrist during the 4 Nations Face-Off, leaving an opportunity for the young defenseman to prove himself. So far, he hasn't disappointed.
Kaedan Korczak had played only 1 game in the last 65 days prior to these two coming out of the break.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) February 25, 2025
He’s had assists in both games. Cool to see him taking advantage of this opportunity.
It looks good so far for the 24-year-old looking to crack the starting lineup one day. He's already got five assists in 20 games with the Golden Knights. He also had a goal and eight assists with the Henderson Silver Knights last season (26 games). The former second-round pick looks comfortable in Bruce Cassidy's lineup, giving him a good problem regarding lineup placement.
Of course, this isn't a knock on Theodore. He's proven to be a valuable piece throughout the years. In fact, he has a career-high 41 assists this season with 17 coming on the man advantage. His spot will be safe once he returns and will be secure for years to come.
But that leaves an interesting conundrum for Cassidy regarding his lineup. What will he do for constructing his lineup? Where does the younger defenseman lie in the grand scheme of things? It's a question that will affect the team for years to come, particularly with his age.
Some scenarios that could happen with Kaeden Korczak's emergence
Of course, there's the trade option being floated around that could work. Zach Whitecloud and Nicolas Hague have been proposed as trade pieces for a couple of years. Hague makes more sense to keep given his overall size and age. Plus, Whitecloud has a cap hit of $2.75 million and doesn't have a no-trade clause. Maybe he's the one to go?
But perhaps Kelly McCrimmon doesn't want to make a trade. Maybe he likes having blueliner depth whenever someone like Theodore goes down. That's okay, too. Bruce Cassidy hasn't shied away from using an 11-7 system this season (or in past games as a coach). In fact, Kaeden Korczak has seen time in said scenarios. It wouldn't be anything new for the 24-year-old considering he's grown comfortable in this system.
After all, there are many things to like about his game. He's an intelligent defender with great instincts. He does well in transition and achieves this through his smooth skating and large frame (6'4", 201 lbs.), making him a problem for his opponents. While he prefers to be a stay-at-home defender, his offensive capabilities mirror that of Theodore's.
Vegas Golden Knights fans should be excited to see Korczak finally break through at the NHL level. The former second-round pick has unlimited potential and has grown beyond his capabilities from his Henderson Silver Knights days. Cassidy loves two-way players who can hop on the transition game as well. Therefore, watch for the defenseman to appear in more hockey games sooner rather than later.