Ladies and gentlemen, it's that time of the preseason again. The Vegas Golden Knights are making roster cuts and have made 15 selections for the chopping block. The primary purpose? Get the majority of the prospects ready for the Henderson Silver Knights training camp.
The following 12 players are heading to the Silver Knights' training camp.
- Jordan Gustafson
- Brandon Hickey
- Lucas Johansen
- Jett Jones
- Samuel Mayer
- Riley McKay
- Pavel Moysevich
- Bronson Ride
- Shane Smith
- Sloan Stanick
- Trent Swick
- Alex Tracy
Furthermore, three players are returning to their respective teams for the start of the season.
- Dylan Allie (Gatineau Olympiques)
- Conor Walton (Windsor Spitfires)
- Vann Williamson (Kingston Frontenacs)
The Golden Knights have cut 15 players from camp.
— Jesse Granger (@JesseGranger_) September 21, 2026
These 12 will head to Silver Knights camp:
Jordan Gustafson, Brandon Hickey, Lucas Johansen, Jett Jones, Samuel Mayer, Riley McKay, Pavel Moysevich, Bronson Ride, Shane Smith, Sloan Stanick, Trent Swick, and Alex Tracy.
These 3…
There aren't many surprises in the roster cuts. Fans shouldn't expect Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, or the newly extended Mark Stone to be on the chopping block. That's especially true with the first wave of cuts, which is relegated to the younger players.
Instead, you're seeing players like the top-tier Silver Knights, Golden Knights press box players, and the Golden Knights mainstays stick around. You're getting a tiered system for cutting players that puts younger players or those who absolutely bomb at the forefront.
Overall, there aren't many shocking cuts to the roster. All 15 players didn't stand a chance of making the Vegas Golden Knights' main roster in the 2026-27 season, whether it's by a positional logjam, inexperience, or by youth. But two names stick out in terms of cutting. Who are the most surprising cuts on Golden Knights' cut day?
Who were the two most surprising cuts for the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday?
Again, there aren't too many shocking cuts from the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. Each player had no chance at cracking the main roster with the aforementioned reasons. Therefore, there's little shock value in the recent roster cuts.
However, if we're going with players that could've lasted another game, you'd have to look at Trent Swick and Bronson Ride. Both are massive players that deploy their size for different reasons.
For Swick, he uses his 6'6" frame to deter oncoming defenders, which explains how he had 25 goals and 25 assists last season with the Tahoe Knight Monsters. For Ride, his 6'7" height makes him a matchup nightmare for attackers, making it harder to manuever around. If you're tasked with taking on these two behemoths, you're bound to struggle.
Perhaps both players are struggling to use their size to their advantage. Maybe it's that the two players are still growing into their hockey bodies. Regardless, both gargantuan stars could've stuck around for Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks.
Still, one noteworthy name not among the cuts was Trevor Connelly. The young winger didn't shine against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday, only registering three shots on goal. However, seeing the former first-round pick stick around indicates that the Golden Knights still believe in him to make the main roster. That was especially true with the Golden Knights' line rushes on Monday, when he was on the same line as Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson.
If he can break through against the San Jose Sharks, his chances will dramatically improve. The Golden Knights would love a good youth injection, starting with the 20-year-old on the front lines. What better way to do that than by having Connelly and Braeden Bowman leading the charge?
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