Four pressing questions as Golden Knights open training camp ahead of Year 10

Anaheim Ducks halfway Mikael Granlund, near passes the puck portion nether unit from Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Rasmus Andersson during the archetypal play successful Game 3 of a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff bid Friday, May 8, 2026, successful Anaheim, Calif. Photo by: Mark J. Terrill/AP

The Vegas Golden Knights are coming disconnected a tally to the Stanley Cup Final and celebrating the commencement of the franchise’s 10th play arsenic grooming campy opened Wednesday astatine City National Arena. That doesn’t mean it’s each affirmative vibes and creaseless sailing into the play opener September 29 astatine T-Mobile Arena against the Chicago Blackhawks. There are respective things they request to code implicit the adjacent mates weeks to beryllium afloat prepared for the season.

How volition they people enough?

Just erstwhile fans thought the Golden Knights had gotten past this discussion, it’s surfacing again heading into Year 10.

Scoring droughts helped precipitate Vegas’ aboriginal playoff exits successful 2024 and 2025, but ne'er truly struck during the astir caller tally to the cupful final. But Pavel Dorofeyev was a large crushed for that violative success, and he’s nary longer connected the team. The Knights traded him to the New York Rangers for a haul of draught picks erstwhile it became wide they would not beryllium capable to conscionable their erstwhile third-round pick’s semipermanent fiscal expectations. It’s nary insignificant loss, considering Dorofeyev is 15th successful the NHL implicit the past 2 seasons with 72 goals.

With Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner each connected eight-year contracts worthy a full of much than $200 million, overmuch of the load should autumn connected the 2 superstars, but they’ve ne'er been shoot-first players. Marner went connected a extremity teardrop successful the playoffs portion Eichel had a mates akin stretches during the regular season, but they’ve ne'er done it simultaneously. That whitethorn request to change.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon expressed confidence, pointing retired that Dorofeyev’s ascent came lone aft the squad fto Jonathan Marchessault locomotion successful escaped bureau 2 years ago. Perhaps Dorofeyev’s exit tin hasten the breakout of a young subordinate similar Braeden Bowman oregon apical organizational imaginable Trevor Connelly.

Will the goaltending bounce back?

The Golden Knights sat 28th retired of 32 teams successful the NHL past twelvemonth successful goals saved supra expected. Goalie play was their Achilles bottommost each year. Carter Hart shored up the weakness passim astir of the Western Conference playoffs but past imploded by giving up 24 goals successful six games of the Stanley Cup Final.

The starter coming into past season, Adin Hill, had his worst run since joining the Knights successful 2022 with an .871 prevention percentage, 3.04 goals against average.

But some goalies are backmost and spell into the play arsenic a tandem that McCrimmon says puts the Golden Knights successful “great signifier astatine the position.” That’s imaginable if they some play up to their potential, but if Hart and Hill prime up wherever they near disconnected past year, the information volition beryllium the polar opposite.

Can Rasmus Andersson unrecorded up to his contract?

The Knights’ biggest offseason summation wasn’t signing anyone new. It was a retainment, arsenic they extended Andersson with a seven-year, $59.5 cardinal contract.

Vegas traded for Andersson astatine past year’s commercialized deadline aft the right-shot defenseman spent 9 years with the divisional rival Calgary Flames. If Andersson plays similar helium did during his past 4 years with the Flames, past the hold is tenable if not a bargain.

But based connected his 55-game illustration with VGK betwixt the regular play and playoffs, it looks similar an overpay. Andersson, known arsenic a amended violative defender, scored lone 7 goals successful the span and posted troubling antiaircraft metrics. He became a liability successful the cupful final, making a fistful of mistakes including a mates costly turnovers. But Andersson acknowledged helium wasn’t blessed with his show and McCrimmon predicted helium would “settle successful and astir apt play a small much comfortably” present with the hold done. 

Will Ryan Craig supply stability?

Memories of past play are destined to property gracefully. It wounded falling 2 wins abbreviated of claiming a title for the 2nd clip successful 4 seasons, but getting to the Stanley Cup Final for the 3rd clip successful franchise past contempt a midseason swoon was a large positive. It conscionable took truthful overmuch negativity to get there.

The late-season firing of 2023 cup-winning manager Bruce Cassidy was incredibly polarizing, adjacent arsenic the players alluded to locker-room discontent. Interim fill-in John Tortorella did an admirable occupation successful relief, but couldn’t afloat shed his cantankerous tendencies and outgo the Knights a second-round prime by skipping a postgame quality conference.

All the controversies were thing caller to this team. For each the on-ice success, the surroundings for a decennary person each excessively often made for a chaotic sideshow.

Perhaps the manager to alteration each that is Craig, who’s been with the enactment arsenic an adjunct from Day One. He spent the past 2 seasons arsenic manager of the Henderson Silver Knights, but McCrimmon and Co. person groomed him for the Golden Knights occupation from the beginning.

Five coaches successful 10 years is an highly precocious clip for a squad that’s been arsenic dependable arsenic Vegas. Maybe Craig is the 1 to halt the changeless turnover.