Way-too-early Vegas Golden Knights starting forward combinations
This year's Golden Knights lineup will look noticeably different, with some faces missing. Whether it's the top line or the fourth, some names won't be there.
Do you remember playing with Legos as a child? The playset allowed young people to use their imagination and create incredible buildings, airplanes, and other engineering marvels. It didn't matter if the blocks were different colors on the structure. The only thing that mattered was the creativity behind the structure, building that young mind for a bright future.
That same creativity comes with building opening night line combinations, whether it's adding Mark Stone to the first line with Jack Eichel or bumping up William Karlsson to the second. Vegas Golden Knights fans get to have fun as a child again, crafting their dream lineups as they see fit. But this year will look different from last season, making the lineup construction tougher to manage.
How so? Familiar faces are no longer with the organization, starting with a couple of "Original Misfits." The most notable is Jonathan Marchessault, where Golden Knights fans already know the story. The undrafted winger makes a name for himself on the new franchise, winning a Conn Smythe in the process. He doesn't come to terms on a new deal and heads to Nashville to hopefully guest-star in the Grand Ole Opry.
The other is William Carrier, who didn't have as grand of an exit as Marchessault. Instead, his story has him going to the Carolina Hurricanes on a six-year, $2 million AAV deal. Hopefully, Carrier will catch some North Carolina-Duke basketball games during his time in the Tar Heel State.
Still, the Golden Knights will have a drastically different lineup from last season, with other names like Chandler Stephenson and Michael Amadio gone. Let's have some fun with building the team's lineup for the season opener and move onto next season. After all, there's no point in dwelling in the past.
Line 1
Ivan Barbashev-Jack Eichel-Mark Stone
The Jack Eichel-Ivan Barbashev pairing is obvious, for the Russian forward was acquired to compliment the former second-overall pick. According to Natural Stat Trick, the duo played 668:09 of ice time together last season (63 games), with the Vegas Golden Knights scoring 36 goals with the duo together. Vegas allowed 23 goals with the pair on the top line in 2023-24. Overall, they've been great together, easily setting up offensive plays.
However, there's a notable face missing on that line. As mentioned, Jonathan Marchessault is no longer a Golden Knight, leaving a void. The team suddenly doesn't have reliable scoring, specifically on the wing. Plenty of names could be placed on that unit, including newly-acquired Alexander Holtz and the youthful Brendan Brisson.
But why not put the Captain on the first line with Eichel and Barbashev? Mark Stone has experience playing with Eichel, playing a total of 556:37 (81 games) with the former second-overall pick since 2021-22. Having a seasoned veteran like Stone here gives the Golden Knights the edge experience-wise, making them more offensively well-rounded.
Line 2
Pavel Dorofeyev-Tomas Hertl-Alexander Holtz
Pavel Dorofeyev has become a great offensive player, turning into the playmaker the Vegas Golden Knights wanted him to be. He reads defenses well and can dangle past any defender heading his way. That's how the left winger scored 13 goals in 47 games last season. Having fantastic hands and a hard shot will do that for a budding star.
He'll get the chance to play with Tomas Hertl, who'll get a full season with the Golden Knights under his belt. He's a big body who can be deployed in front of the goaltender, creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. The Czech forward can also score from the outside, with his scoring ability carrying the whole line. There's a reason why the Golden Knights acquired him in the last trade deadline, for they saw a skilled offensive star with size and a two-way game to boot.
So who joins Hertl and Dorofeyev? It could be Mark Stone, who leaves his perch of playing with Jack Eichel if Vegas actually acquires a big-name player (looking at you, Mitch Marner). However, Alexander Holtz would be a great fit here, learning from Tomas Hertl on being an efficient offensive star. Holtz can also be deployed on the third line if needed, where he could create magic with fellow Swede, William Karlsson. Why not give Vegas more firepower in the slot with the former first-round pick here?
Line 3
Brendan Brisson-William Karlsson-Victor Olofsson
While dumping Victor Olofsson to the fourth line sounds appealing, the newest Vegas Golden Knights forward isn't too physical. He has 77 career hits in six seasons, which doesn't even come close to Keegan Kolesar's total from last season (276, fourth-most in the NHL).
Therefore, Olofsson should have a role on the third line with William Karlsson, whose versatility makes him a strong fit anywhere. The "Original Misfit" has developed a knack for adaptability during his Golden Knights tenure, making him one of the more trusted players on the team. He can help a fellow Swede bounce back from scoring seven goals and eight assists last season, getting him back to double-digit goals.
As for Brendan Brisson, he's shown he can be a quality piece in the lineup. The Michigan Wolverines alum can facilitate the play and act as a sniper, carrying a hard shot with him. Of course, he must learn to adapt to the faster pace of the NHL. However, he can hone his skills by learning from Karlsson. Overall, this unit has great upside to it with its ability to score more than 15 goals for each player.
Line 4
Brett Howden-Nicolas Roy-Keegan Kolesar
Compared to Olofsson, Brett Howden is a bigger player with more physicality. Last season, he had 86 hits, nine more than the Swedish forward had throughout his career. Howden might not light up the stat sheet. However, he doesn't need to, for Nicolas Roy and Keegan Kolesar can set up scoring opportunites and carry the load.
Roy is developing into a reliable piece for the Golden Knights and is learning how to use his size more. As he grows into his game, he could get reps with players like Mark Stone, galvanizing his game. In the meantime, he'll still be on the bottom line, which has more offensive potential than one would think. That's partly because of the center, who had 28 assists last season.
But Keegan Kolesar is the muscle of this line, bringing a strong checking presence. He's also skilled as a playmaker, passing the puck in awe-inspiring fashion. Being on the bottom line isn't the prettiest job in the world, for you're dealing with plenty of crunching hits and grinding. However, this unit can be tough to play against, specifically with their size.
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