The 10th season of Vegas Golden Knights hockey isn’t one to be short on intrigue.
First is the obvious. A new coach is leading a team that was two wins away last year from a second Stanley Cup in team history. Most of the core is back for another run.
But it’s a new era thanks to the new collective bargaining agreement going into effect. Teams will play 84 games this season. Preseason is shortened from seven games to four. Training camp will surely be shorter.
That’s good for those who want hockey to start back up as soon as possible.
There’s still plenty to look ahead to with the Knights as they open training camp at City National Arena on Thursday.
Here are 10 storylines to look forward to heading into Year 10:
New bench boss
The Ryan Craig era is underway. What comes with that change of the guard?
Craig has an unenviable but welcoming task of being a first-year NHL coach on a team that was two wins from a Stanley Cup. He also has relationships with a large portion of the roster, whether they be from his time as an assistant coach or when he was coaching the Henderson Silver Knights.
As a former AHL captain, he will command the respect of the players. He’ll relate to them on a level that an experienced coach might struggle with.
As far as on the ice goes, don’t expect a lot of change in Craig’s systems from what the Knights have done since 2023. Why turn away from a style of play that has resulted in two trips to the Stanley Cup Final in four years?
Craig will put his own spin on things, but the structure will likely be the same from what Bruce Cassidy and John Tortorella ran. Cassidy created structure. Tortorella created belief. Craig’s job will be to merge the two.
The goalie conundrum
It’s a crucial year for Adin Hill and Carter Hart, as well as the future of the Knights’ goaltending.
It’s likely Hart will get the starter’s job to begin the season. He’s earned that right with his playoff run, even if things fell apart during the Stanley Cup Final.
Hill will get his opportunities. He’s still making $6.25 million per season through 2031. Injuries plagued him again with only 27 appearances last year, an .871 save percentage and 3.04 goals-against average.
Someone will have to take hold of the starter’s crease at some point. Hill needs to stay healthy and prove last year was a blip on the radar. Hart is entering the final year of his two-year, $4 million contract he signed in October.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon said he didn’t like the goaltending last year, but he likes the goaltenders. If no one takes the reins, there might be other avenues to explore.
Rumor has it there’s a disgruntled goaltender in Winnipeg looking for a new home.
More from Eichel
Jack Eichel played a lot of hockey last year. Such is the consequences of winning a gold medal and playing until June.
Eichel has taken steps to becoming one of the league’s elite two-way players. He has two trips to the Cup Final to prove it.
There aren’t many who had a worse taste in their mouth from losing than Eichel.
“Since the start of September, you have this ultimate goal. Every team does,” Eichel said June 16. “When you get so close to it, and you don’t achieve it, it leaves you with quite an empty feeling.”
November will be five years since the franchise-altering trade that brought Eichel to Las Vegas from the Buffalo Sabres. It’s a trade that worked out for Eichel, the Knights and the franchise’s future.
At 29 years old, he’s entering his prime after back-to-back 90-point seasons. The Knights will need another gear from Eichel if they want to make another long run.
Marner magic returns
Mitch Marner banished the ghosts of playoff past with a run that will go down in franchise lore. The only thing it didn’t come with was hardware.
But Marner showed he’s worth every bit of hassle the Knights went through to get him when he erupted for 29 points in the playoffs.
“I think you always believe in yourself to do spectacular things,” Marner said. “You literally can’t do anything by yourself in our sport. You need five people to be on the right page a lot of times for a lot of things to go your way.”
The next reasonable question to ask, is what can Marner do for an encore? Not just in the playoffs, but through the regular season.
After a frantic first season with the Knights, Marner should settle in nicely. He returns to the wing with a center that will get him the puck (William Karlsson) and another coming off an incredible goal-scoring run in the playoffs (Brett Howden).
Wild Bill’s next ride
Speaking of Karlsson, an important year lies ahead for the Original Misfit.
Karlsson is fully healthy after the most frustrating season of his career. He missed 68 games in the regular season with a hamstring injury. He returned for the playoffs and was an immediate difference maker.
Then came a broken wrist in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final to halt everything.
The injury bug has rattled the once-durable Karlsson the past few seasons, but he’s still as effective a 200-foot player as anyone in the league when healthy.
That will matter in his next contract. Karlsson enters the final year of the eight-year, $47.2 million contract he signed in 2019. Extending Mark Stone for two years on Saturday means Karlsson is the next important piece of contract business the Knights need to tend to.
There shouldn’t be any worry about that one. Karlsson should be extended at some point. It’s just another case of when, and how much.
The return of Vic
It’s the second coming of Victor Olofsson in Las Vegas. A bigger role awaits him.
The 31-year-old returns to the Knights after signing a one-year deal with the team on July 1. Olofsson scored 15 goals in 2025 with the Knights before signing a one-year deal with Colorado that summer. He was part of the blockbuster Nazem Kadri trade with the Calgary Flames in March.
The Knights signed Olofsson two years ago off the heels of losing Jonathan Marchessault in free agency. He became the kind of shot-first player they needed. Fortunately for the Knights, Pavel Dorofeyev became a 30-goal scorer.
Dorofeyev is now with the New York Rangers, and Olofsson returns with more responsibility on him. He’ll take Dorofeyev’s spot on the top power play unit, an area he was highly effective with the Knights his first time here.
Bowman’s time to shine
Braeden Bowman’s path to becoming a full-time NHL player is off to a blistering start.
The Knights signed the undrafted forward to a six-year, $20.4 million contract Thursday, showing how much the organization believes in the 23-year-old’s trajectory.
The $3.4 million cap hit is great value in the rising cap world, especially if Bowman can continue to develop. He turned a call-up in place of Stone in November into a 54-game rookie season and a middle-six role this season.
Bowman scored 11 of his 26 points in the first 15 games. That rookie wall came at him hard. He’ll need to show he’s continuing to adjust to the rigors of the NHL schedule.
What does the fourth line look like?
Nic Dowd is going to have two new wingers on his line with the departures of Keegan Kolesar and Cole Smith.
The Knights’ fourth line is going to look vastly different. It’s going to create opportunity from Henderson, especially, for another young player to fight for a roster spot.
Marc Gatcomb is going to be one of those winger replacements. The 27-year-old is a traditional center, but he’ll move out of position to give the Knights another right-handed stick for faceoff purposes.
The other spot could turn into someone getting a full look from the AHL. Kai Uchacz is one who will compete for a spot. Tanner Laczynski is also in the cards after leading Henderson in scoring last season.
Don’t forget about Jonas Rondbjerg, either. The last remaining member of the Knights’ inaugural entry draft class has long had solid NHL stints on the fourth line. Perhaps this is the year he gets a chance.
Same defense, new look?
The blue line is mostly intact from last year’s group, with the lone difference being Parker Wotherspoon replacing Kaedan Korczak following the trade for each other in the offseason.
The Knights are moving forward with Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, Rasmus Andersson and Jeremy Lauzon signed long term, with Brayden McNabb and Wotherspoon filling out the six defensemen. Dylan Coghlan will be the extra.
One uncertainty Craig will have to deal with is how will he deploy the six defensemen. Hanifin and Andersson skated together most of last season. Their familiarity with each other dates back to their Calgary days.
Early expectations are the Knights will split those two up and go with a more balanced approach with the three pairs. That may come at a minutes drop for one of the three offensive-minded defensemen, but Craig has some decisions to make.
Who challenges for a roster spot?
Outside of the aforementioned Uchacz and Laczynski, the shortened preseason isn’t going to create many looks at those knocking on the door.
Top prospect Trevor Connelly will be one of those getting an extended look. It’s a slim chance for him to make the roster out of camp, but he should see at least two of the four preseason games, if not all four.
Raphael Lavoie could be another option following his 30-goal season in Henderson. Ben Hemmerling is another young player to watch after a 50-point season in his first healthy year in the AHL.
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
