3 Vegas Golden Knights that can break the single-season assists record in 2024-25
The Vegas Golden Knights have no shortage of offensively talented players. That's why fans should expect these three players to shatter the single-season assists record.
Shea Theodore. Mark Stone. William Karlsson. Jack Eichel. Tomas Hertl. These names have become beloved figures within the Vegas Golden Knights, regardless of how long they've been tenured with the team. They've come up with memorable quotes and moments, creating an unrivaled culture within the NHL atmosphere. It's part of why they've become one of the most successful franchises in the league, aside from an excellent front office.
These names will also be paramount to the Golden Knights's success in 2024-25. With the absence of quality forwards via free agency, there must be bigger names to step in and fill their voids. That could come from other names such as Pavel Dorofeyev or Tanner Pearson. Their production could also come from this summer's acquisitions, including Victor Olofsson and Alexander Holtz.
Whatever the case, they need scoring. The focus will be on the bigger names to step in and play at a higher level. But what team doesn't, especially when your franchise leader in almost every category is gone? That's what happens when you've become one of the most prominent names of the franchise, after all. Ah, it's good to be the king.
So let's focus on three names from the five aforementioned players for a second. There's a record set by David Perron in 2017-18 for the most single-season assists by a Golden Knights player. He scored 50 in that season, helping Vegas get to the Stanley Cup Final. Which stars have the potential to shatter that record in the upcoming season?
Jack Eichel
This should surprise nobody, considering he's the de facto center for the Vegas Golden Knights. Last season, he scored 31 goals and 37 assists in 63 games. That left some wiggle room for the superstar center to reach 50 in 2023-24 if lower-body injuries didn't eat into his playing time. However, the new hockey year offers him a crack at the landmark.
Golden Knights fans will wonder if he'll do well with his potential linemate, Victor Olofsson. The two teammates will reunite from their Buffalo Sabres days, where the Swedish forward was scoring 20+ goals. Could Eichel help him rebound from his abysmal 2023-24 campaign, where he scored seven goals and eight assists? Time will tell.
Eichel will also have other weapons at his disposal, including Shea Theodore for another season. The defenseman should pair with the center in various aspects, including even strength. If both are playing a full season, that's good news for the team as they seek another Stanley Cup.
Finally, Eichel will get Tomas Hertl on the top power play unit for an entire year. Having a big body in front of the goaltender should pay dividends for Vegas in 2024-25. Fans were impressed in Hertl's limited time with the Golden Knights last season, where he had a goal and assist on the power play in six games. Finally getting a sizable forward up front will also ease the pressure off players like Mark Stone, making life easier. Speaking of which...
Mark Stone
Like Jack Eichel, Mark Stone will reap the benefits of having Tomas Hertl on the power play unit for a full season. Stone was formally the guy who would do the dirty work in front of the goaltender, trying to deflect and redirect pucks. Now that the Czech forward will play for a full season, that leaves the Captain freed up to set his teammates up.
That should also help him health-wise, for he's dealt with numerous injuries in the past few seasons. That includes a freak spleen injury and back problems, limiting the forward's time. Of course, that has also led to numerous LTIR jokes and "circumventing the cap." However, lacerating your spleen is serious business, where it could even lead to a life-or-death situation.
Regardless, Stone's projected to be on the second line, where he's surrounded by scoring talent. At the start of training camp, it consisted of the upstart Pavel Dorofeyev and William Karlsson. If that line holds, it could be one of the most influential lines of the 2024-25 season, giving the Golden Knights plenty of ammunition. He could also play alongside Hertl on the second line, which will add more size to the unit.
Shea Theodore
Imagine getting 37 assists in 47 games. That sounds like a solid pace, right? Now imagine that in a 82-game season. That would be in the 60-65 assist range (roughly 64, to be exact). Shea Theodore had 37 in his 2023-24 campaign, where he was one of the most productive Golden Knights when healthy.
As long as there are no upper-body injuries to deal with, he'll be putting in work and setting up William Karlsson and Mark Stone for nice goals. This is contingent on how healthy the Vegas Golden Knights are in the upcoming year. With the team snakebitten by health issues in the past three seasons, having the defenseman shatter 50 (and go beyond 60) would help the team.
But there's one other factor fans aren't considering: Theodore's in a contract year. Yes, there are other pressing concerns with the Golden Knights, such as paying Jack Eichel. However, Jonathan Marchessault scored a career-high 42 goals in 2023-24, setting himself up for a solid contract with the Nashville Predators. That could be what happens with the blue-liner in Vegas if he plays the whole 82-game schedule.
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