This Golden Knights lineup has surprisingly good upside
On paper, this is what the current Vegas Golden Knights lineup might look like heading into the October 9 opener against Colorado.
VGK Projected Lineup for 2024-25
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) July 2, 2024
Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Dorofeyev-Hertl-Holtz
Brisson-Karlsson-Olofsson
Howden-Roy-Kolesar
Hanifin-Pietrangelo
McNabb-Theodore
Hague-Whitecloud
Hill
VGK Lineup for Stanley Cup Final Game 5 (June 13, 2023)
Barbashev-Eichel-Marchessault…
One might say it's missing a couple of major pieces with Jonathan Marchessault and William Carrier gone. However, this lineup also has the potential to surprise many Golden Knights fans.
Victor Olofsson is a perfect example. Last season, he severely underperformed, scoring seven goals and eight assists in 51 games for the Buffalo Sabres. That's drastically underwhelming and was partly why he got a low offer. However, he scored 20 or more goals in three of the previous four seasons, with a COVID-shortened 2020-21 season yielding 13 goals.
Olofsson is a low-risk, high-reward signing that can help in many ways, including the power play. Alexander Holtz is in the same boat, for he was traded from New Jersey because the Devils didn't believe in him. He has tremendous upside as a former first-round pick, capable of scoring 20 or more goals in a season.
Overall, this lineup can surprise some people with a productive season. There are other factors such as Mark Stone's experience as a first-line player and Pavel Dorofeyev's developing game. This could be a unit that blossoms so much that an additional move from Kelly McCrimmon won't be necessary.