The Vegas Golden Knights are piecing together their lineup for next season after a flurry of offseason moves, with roster battles expected in training camp. General manager Kelly McCrimmon has largely kept the core intact from the team that fell two wins short of a Stanley Cup, but there are several new faces and positional questions to resolve.
The most notable addition is the return of winger Victor Olofsson on a one-year deal, brought in to replace Pavel Dorofeyev, who departed after scoring 72 goals over the past two seasons. Olofsson, a three-time 20-goal scorer, is expected to slot into the middle six and see time on the top power-play unit. “We liked more about his game then and now than just the fact he’s a shooter, but he brings that skillset to our team,” McCrimmon said. “He’s responsible. He’s a smart player. He’ll find a good spot in our lineup.”
Another key storyline is the emergence of undrafted winger Braeden Bowman, 23, who played 54 games as a rookie after filling in for an injured Mark Stone. McCrimmon indicated Bowman is in line to become an everyday NHL player. “We’ve seen here in the past that for people to blossom and take a step, there has to be opportunity in front of them,” McCrimmon said. “I feel very good where we’re at.”
The projected forward lines feature Ivan Barbashev with Jack Eichel and Stone, while Olofsson joins William Karlsson and Mitch Marner on the second line. Brett Howden, Tomas Hertl, and Bowman form the third line, with the fourth line still needing a left wing after the trade of Keegan Kolesar to Detroit. McCrimmon noted that Marc Gatcomb, a 6-foot-2 forward signed in free agency, could fill that role, and Bowman could also shift to the fourth line if needed, opening a top-nine spot for Tanner Laczynski or 2024 first-round pick Trevor Connelly.
On defense, the blue line remains largely unchanged with the re-signings of Rasmus Andersson, Dylan Coghlan, and Jeremy Lauzon, but the addition of Parker Wotherspoon over Kaedan Korczak shifts the balance. The unit is heavy on left-handed shots, which may require some players to play their weak side. “Because some coaches, that’s a real hang-up with the righties and the lefties matching up on the back end, but we feel there’s some options for guys to play on the right side,” McCrimmon said. “Ryan and John were both comfortable that we could work through that.”
In goal, Carter Hart and Adin Hill are expected to return, with the team not making any changes between the pipes.
McCrimmon emphasized that the roster is not set in stone and that competition will determine the final lineup. “Coming from junior hockey, every year, you lose some of your best players. They age out and it provides opportunity,” he said. “It doesn’t guarantee that it’s seamless and we’re going to have as good a group of forwards as we had last year, but it’s going to give some players a chance to get that opportunity.”
