The Vegas Golden Knights enter the 2026-27 season with the same expectations they had from their inaugural season, which ended with a division title and an appearance in the Stanley Cup Final. Although it’s a long shot, this could be the final season for captain Mark Stone and William Karlsson in the desert, so Cup-or-bust is really an understatement. According to Ally Chesham at Sportsnet, the Golden Knights' best and worst-case scenarios for the new season center around the club’s decision to trade Pavel Dorofeyev.
Golden Knights are still among favorites to win the Stanley Cup
Although Dorofeyev led the team in goals over the past two seasons, he was never the club’s top offensive threat. Instead, those responsibilities have been on Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner. Sooner or later, one or both of them will eclipse the 100-point mark. Meanwhile, Marner gave the Vegas faithful a glimpse of how special he is with a magical playoff performance.
Replacing a multi-time 30-goal scorer is no easy task, but the answers are already in the lineup. It’s time for both Eichel and Marner, along with Stone, to reach and surpass their career bests to offset Dorofeyev’s departure. Until the Golden Knights start steamrolling opponents, questions will linger about their offensive plan under a rookie coach. If the losses begin to pile up, all eyes will be on the veterans who were expected to replace Dorofeyev's production
Will age and inexperience be a concern for Vegas?
In her article, Chesham wonders whether Vegas, which always seems to play with house money, is about to see crap out. For the first time in franchise history, a rookie coach will lead the players, who are also the third-oldest group in the NHL. Handing the reins to Ryan Craig was a bold move for a franchise that just had former Stanley Cup winners behind the bench. Depending on how the Golden Knights perform this season, it could be viewed as a brilliant move or a head-scratcher.
Even though Craig has been with the organization since day one, he’s never been the guy making all the important decisions. Now it's his turn to decide when to lean on veterans and when to hold them accountable. He'll decide whether Carter Hart plays every night or gets extended periods off to rest.
For the first time in 10 seasons, the Golden Knights are going into the unknown, and the outsiders are just waiting for the bottom to drop out. Yet, just when the doubters look like they will finally be right, Vegas pulls a rabbit out of their hat and wins the Pacific Division. There’s an argument that some of the other contenders are getting younger, while the Golden Knights keep loading up on veterans. Eventually, the formula won’t work, and no blockbuster deal will save the team.
As everyone gets prepared for another season of Vegas hockey, this year's team needs to make it back to at least the Final or things could get ugly. Chesham isn’t the first one to point out the many flaws in the 2026-27 Golden Knights, and she won’t be the last, title or not.
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