2024-25 Preview: Vegas Golden Knights VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 45-29-8, 98 Pts. 4th Pacific, 14th Overall 3.21 GF/GP (14th), 2.96 GA/GP (12th), 20.2 PP% (20th), 79.3 PK% (16th) Top scorer: Jonathan Marchessault. 82 GP. 42-27-69, 266 Shots, 107 Hits, 17:54 TOI/GP 2024-25 BetMGM Stanley Cup Odds: Opening: +1200 Current: +1600 (as of August 22, 2024) Ticket: 4.9%. Handle: 4.2% (as of August 22, 2024) 2023-24 FANTASY RECAP We're seven seasons into the Golden Knights' existence and original 'Misfits' Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson were still two of their top scorers in 2023-24. Injuries were a key reason the Knights didn't play to their full potential. Jack Eichel scored at an 88-point pace but played only 63 games. Alex Pietrangelo, their best all-round defenseman and a fantasy stalwart with 40-50 points and 150-plus blocks like clockwork, played just 64. Shea Theodore was limited to just 47 games. And Mark Stone was, you know, injured as he usually is. That put a damper on all of their fantasy values. Even the role players weren't that great. Chandler Stephenson's point total dropped to 51 from 65, likely due to the lack of elite linemates and having to carry the scoring himself, and Ivan Barbashev, who was paid handsomely after one great playoff run, failed to score 20 goals and posted a meager 122 shots. He produced more like a third-line player rather than one who was a fixture on the top line next to Eichel. Only Marchessault, who finished tied-11th in the league with 42 goals, and Karlsson, who scored 30 goals for the first time since the Knights' inaugural season, delivered surplus value. Their depleted lineup also affected their goalies with Adin Hill and Logan Thompson seeing their stats dip a little. It was going to be a timeshare going into the 2023-24 season, and though Hill was their preferred option, it definitely ended up being a timeshare anyway due to Hill's injury (now an annual thing) and both goalie's inability to stay consistent all season. Even Bruce Cassidy's system couldn't save them. Jack Eichel [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5NTczNjM0NjU2NzA3NzUz/usatsi_22801554.jpg] Jack Eichel 2024-25 FANTASY OUTLOOK I can't help but feel like the Knights' roster looks thinner than ever. Stephenson signed with the Kraken, Marchessault signed with the Predators and Thompson was dealt to the Capitals. I'm unsure Tomas Hertl can stem the loss of both. Acquired from the Sharks late last season, he was clearly not 100 percent healthy. A two-time 30-goal scorer, his talent can replace Marchessault's production, and being able to play both center and wing can replace Stephenson's versatility. But can he do both? Hertl will turn 31 in November (time moves fast) and it's worth noting he's scored more than 70 points just once in his career. Victor Olofsson and Alexander Holtz were acquired to provide scoring on the wings, but Olofsson's coming off arguably the worst season of his career, and Holtz's development had stalled with the Devils and so far failed to live up to the billing as the seventh overall pick in 2020. Both are big gambles, especially with Olofsson lining up as their first-line right winger. I think the Knights are making really big bets that their offense can improve with players bouncing back from poor or injury-riddled seasons, but I just don't see a lot of upside in this lineup. Eichel is the only elite fantasy player. Stone would be, too, but he's far too injury prone. Defense is where the Knights will really shine. A healthy Theodore gives them a really good PP QB, and their top unit should improve from their woeful 20th-ranked showing last season. I think he has the most fantasy upside in regards to points compared to Pietrangelo or Noah Hanifin, both of whom are going to be relied on at even strength. I asked THN Vegas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/] editor Julian Gaudio [https://twitter.com/juliangaudio89] on what he thinks of the Knights' 'Big Three' on defense: > "It's difficult to say without having clear knowledge of who will be > quarterbacking the Golden Knights power play, but if [Theodore] does get the > opportunity to do so, it's not out of the question that he outscores his > career highs of 14 goals and 52 points. Offensive opportunities at 5-on-5 will > be more scarce but if he plays on the first power play unit he could do it." - With Thompson dealt to the Caps, also look for Hill to get the majority of the starts. Injuries will be the biggest concern, and again the Knights are making a bet on a bounce-back player in Ilya Samsonov. The Knights are no strangers to a rotation, however, and depending on how the season goes, I wouldn't be surprised if this becomes a 1A-1B situation rather than a traditional starter-backup setup. 2024-25 PROJECTED LINEUP (updated Oct. 5, 2025) Even Strength Ivan Barbashev - Jack Eichel - Victor Olofsson Pavel Dorofeyev - Tomas Hertl - Mark Stone Alexander Holtz - Nicolas Roy - Keegan Kolesar Tanner Pearson - Brett Howden - Raphael Lavoie Shea Theodore - Alex Pietrangelo Noah Hanifin - Nic Hague Brayden McNabb - Zach Whitecloud Adin Hill - Ilya Samsonov ex: Cole Schwindt, Ben Hutton, Kaedan Korczak IR: William Karlsson (no return date set) Power Play Hertl - Eichel - Stone - Olofsson - Theodore Barbashev - Roy - Holtz - Hanifin - Pietrangelo SLEEPER: VICTOR OLOFSSON, LW Olofsson's career had started off really promising with a 20-goal rookie season and averaged over 18 minutes per game. Fast forward to 2023-24 and Olofsson had been leapfrogged so many times on the Sabres depth chart he played just 51 games, scoring only seven goals and averaging 11 minutes per game. He gets a fresh start with the Knights where he is re-united with Eichel. The two played together for a full season in 2019-20; it was Olofsson's rookie season and Eichel's last full season with the Sabres before his neck injury limited him to 21 games in 2020-21. It was the Sabres' most talented line (Sam Reinhart was the third linemate) but they were not a good team. If Olofsson manages to stay on a line with Eichel, I think he can be a worthwhile sleeper and a bounce-back candidate. BREAKOUT: ALEXANDER HOLTZ, RW We didn't see it in New Jersey but it's hard to break out when the team is pretty stacked and you're averaging just 11 minutes per game. I think with more minutes, Holtz has a really good chance to break out. I thought it was encouraging Holtz managed to get in the lineup for all 82 games and score 15 of his 16 goals at even strength, and trailed only Nico Hischier in goals scored per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (min. 20 GP) last season on the Devils. Give Holtz a chance and I think you can book him for 20 goals. BOUNCE-BACK: ILYA SAMSONOV, G It was a train wreck from the beginning and never got much better from there. Samsonov allowed 17 goals in the first five games of the season, and despite his sparkling 23-7-8 record, finished with a 3.13 GAA and .890 SP, the worst save percentage among the 25 goalies who won at least 20 games. There were moments were Samsonov was good, but those moments were few and far between. His biggest issue was consistency (and it has been throughout his career so far) but under Cassidy's system, I think he benefits from having arguably the league's best defense. I don't think Samsonov's stats can get any worse, and should Hill get injured, Samsonov will get his fair share of the starts. BUST: WILLIAM KARLSSON, C I think Karlsson is a very good player but with Hertl as their No. 2 center for a full season and a healthy Eichel, I'm not sure I see Karlsson scoring 30 goals again. He shot 17.1 percent, his second-highest mark after his first season with the Knights when he shot 23.4 percent and scored 43 goals. Eliminate those two outlier seasons and Karlsson's a 20-goal threat — not really worth reaching for until the later rounds of standard drafts. Adin Hill [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5NTc0ODA0NDk4NDI1MDAx/usatsi_23182853.jpg] Adin Hill GOALIES This is the Knights' biggest question mark. Hill will begin the season as the No. 1 but he's a huge injury risk, not having played more than 35 games in any one season. Samsonov, meanwhile, was one of the league's most inconsistent and unreliable starters last season. Both carry huge risks and I'm not sure I would be enthusiastically reaching for Hill early in drafts. If he falls far enough, I'd take a chance on him, but if you're looking for reliability and quantity of starts and saves, I'd rather take a goalie on a worse team with a big workload. To get full value out of the Knights' tandem, it's best to roster both. You'll capture most of the upside on what should be a very good team. If Hill can stay healthy, I think he will run away with the job. At worst, Samsonov should be a viable streaming option. THN Vegas [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/] editor Julian Gaudio [https://twitter.com/juliangaudio89] on the Knights' goalie rotation: > "Hill will play the majority of the starts based on the trust Bruce Cassidy > has in him and the poor season Ilya Samsonov had last year. Hill is also > entering a contract year and will be trying his best to prove he is a > full-time starter. He's never played more than 35 games in a season, but it's > not out of the question to see him range between 45-50 starts. Akira Schmid is > waiting in the AHL and could put pressure on Samsonov to perform well." - JASON'S TOP 5 POINT PROJECTIONS (based on 82 games) Jack Eichel, C - 35-45-80 Mark Stone, RW - 28-48-76 Tomas Hertl, C - 24-38-62 William Karlsson, C - 27-29-56 Shea Theodore, D - 8-48-56 YAHOO PRE-SEASON RANKINGS 24. Jack Eichel, C 73. Tomas Hertl, C 110. Mark Stone, RW 117. Adin Hill, G 130. William Karlsson, C 140. Shea Theodore, D 142. Ilya Samsonov, G 179. Ivan Barbashev, C/LW 180. Noah Hanifin, D 191. Alex Pietrangelo, D 271. Akira Schmid, G 305. Victor Olofsson, LW 600. Pavel Dorofeyev, LW 638. Alexander Holtz, RW 823. Brendan Brisson, C Related: Click the image below to receive your free issue of the 2024-25 THN Poolbook. THN.com/FREE [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA3NjkzODE0MTc1OTAxMzM3/subscribe-image-promo.jpg] THN.com/FREE
