For years, the Vegas Golden Knights have based their success on a singular ideal. That happens to be a system that revolves around taking away space from their opponents. In turn, they've made most NHL goaltenders look like Vezina Trophy contenders. It's a charmed life for the Golden Knights defensively.
Of course, names like Marc-Andre Fleury and Logan Thompson have benefited immensely from this incredible structure. They've gotten easy looks and have done fantastic work in holding up their end of the bargain. You can chalk that up to the space being taken away from opponents, leading to reduced shots on goal.
But that's not the only reason, though. In fact, there's another thing that the Golden Knights must rely on to succeed in the 2026-27 season. It's something that has haunted Vegas in the past few seasons. You won't be surprised that this reason pops up in this article, trust me.
So, let's look at what the Golden Knights must improve on during the 2026-27 season. Believe it or not, Jack Eichel, Shea Theodore, and company must work on this to ensure that goaltenders like Carter Hart and Adin Hill thrive. You don't want them allowing three consecutive goals in a game, do you?
The Vegas Golden Knights must be more careful with the puck during the regular season
Last season, the Vegas Golden Knights were careful with the puck, totaling 1,053 giveaways to their opponent (27th in the NHL). Furthermore, they had the 10th-fewest defensive zone giveaways (499). Of course, these defensive zone giveaways reared its ugly head during the Stanley Cup playoffs, with Vegas totaling 181 defensive zone giveaways (most in the NHL).
Ultimately, that cost the Golden Knights the Stanley Cup, whether it was Rasmus Andersson or Noah Hanifin. You can blame Carter Hart for allowing consecutive goals in certain games. But he couldn't react in time to the turnovers happening in his own zone. So, who were the guilty parties, you ask?
Player | Defensive Zone Takeaways |
|---|---|
Noah Hanifin | 36 |
Shea Theodore | 31 |
Brayden McNabb | 22 |
Rasmus Andersson | 12 |
Notice how the top four consists entirely of defensemen. The main name atop the list is Noah Hanifin, who eventually fell off the proverbial cliff. There's also Shea Theodore, who has a bad habit of turning the puck over, specifically in the defensive zone. If you can't take care of the puck in the defensive zone, how does that help your goaltender fend off the opposition?
That's something that the Vegas Golden Knights must carefully work on during the regular season. They can't let defensive zone turnovers carry over from the Stanley Cup playoffs, especially if they're looking to win another Stanley Cup. Otherwise, you'll end up cooking your goaltender and diminishing his confidence during the game. Trust me when I say that's something nobody wants to see.
Las Vegas has an expectation of winning Stanley Cups every year. It's not like they're a grossly overvalued sports franchise that solely focuses on marketing and the brand. No, Bill Foley expects the boys to win Stanley Cups year after year. That starts with taking care of the puck in the defensive zone and not rushing the play.
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