Alexander Holtz is taking the necessary steps to becoming a key figure for the Vegas Golden Knights again. After a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, the Swedish forward did everything he could to get back on the roster.
He stayed after practice to work on his mechanics.
He had a stellar preseason campaign that earned him a roster spot, beating good depth pieces like Cole Schwindt and Jonas Rondbjerg.
He even worked with his good friend, William Karlsson, to improve his mechanics. All these factors culminated in this moment, where the Golden Knights are down key players. That includes Brett Howden and Mark Stone, who've suffered various injuries to start the season.
Now, it's his moment to shine. It's time to fix the backcheck that hindered him on his NHL journey. It's also the perfect chance to build Holtz's confidence as a player, unleashing his offensive talents.
So, let's look at the first couple of games that Holtz has participated in. What has stood out the most with the young Swedish forward? What can he improve on to maximize his opportunity with the Golden Knights? Let's dine on some Swedish meatballs and have a glass of water with our meal because we're seeing what Holtz can do!
Breaking out Alexander Holtz's 2025-26 campaign start with the Vegas Golden Knights
One thing that Holtz is doing is getting more involved defensively. He's making key plays and is back-checking better than last season. On top of that, he's learning to block shots. On Monday, he had two blocked shots in Vegas's 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes.
One criticism of Holtz is that he would let opponents slip past him while on defense. He would only face his opponents and struggle to keep up once they moved past him. It seems that the winger is learning to tackle that problem, especially against high-leverage opponents.
But one thing that you'll notice with the 23-year-old is that he has no points. He only has three shots in two games, having nothing to show for it. It was the same situation last season, where he had four goals, eight assists, and 69 (nice) shots on goal with the Golden Knights.
Some of those problems came from bad puck luck (Rhymes Like Dimes!). Sometimes, the puck would bounce in awkward positions that would leave Holtz unable to convert his scoring opportunities. But it's also on him to get more involved in the game. That means being more aggressive and adjusting his shot as he goes.
Last season, he had a shooting percentage of 5.8%. That's a massive dropoff from his career-worst with the New Jersey Devils, where his shooting percentage was 13.1% (2023-24, minimum of 15 games). That's where adjusting his shot comes into play. If he takes more shots, that means learning how to read where the goaltender goes and how to handle his movements.
Holtz's NHL career hinges on how he does with the Golden Knights this season
When Alexander Holtz signed a two-year $1,675,077 contract, the intention was to bank on his growth. The Golden Knights know he's capable of returning to his New Jersey Devils form, where he scored 16 goals and 12 assists in 2023-24. However, his time is running thin.
First, Bruce Cassidy's known for having a short leash. If players aren't performing up to par, he'll shuffle his lines to try and get the most from them. That happened to Brandon Saad, who started on the fourth line against Calgary on Saturday before moving up to the first line on Monday.
Second, he's playing in the big leagues now. When he played with the Henderson Silver Knights, he performed well. The forward scored seven goals and six assists in 16 games with Henderson, showing he can handle the workload. But will that translate to NHL success?
That hinges on Holtz developing more confidence in his game. If he can correct some mistakes offensively and continue developing his backchecking abilities, there's no reason why he shouldn't stick around. That would be promising for both his career and the Golden Knights.