The Vegas Golden Knights arrive at the 2026-27 season with a familiar target — another Stanley Cup run — but their roster has a different feel after Pavel Dorofeyev’s exit and a coaching change behind the bench. Vegas opens the 84-game regular season Sept. 29 after going 39-26-17, winning the Pacific Division and falling in the Stanley Cup Final last spring.
New bench, same standard in Vegas
Ryan Craig takes over for his first NHL season as head coach, inheriting a club that has reached the playoffs in eight of its nine seasons since joining the League in 2017-18. The lone miss came in 2021-22, when injuries tore through the lineup.
- Vegas hit a rough patch late last regular season, with general manager Kelly McCrimmon pointing to a loss of energy and edge around the room.
- With eight games remaining, Bruce Cassidy was replaced by John Tortorella.
- The Golden Knights regained their push under Tortorella, found their confidence again and finished two victories short of the championship.
- Craig now gets the job of carrying that urgency into a longer 84-game schedule while preparing the club for the games that matter in the spring.
Health will remain central to that plan. William Karlsson missed 68 games last season and captain Mark Stone sat out 22. A full season from both would give Vegas much more flexibility through its top nine and allow the club to roll a deeper attack.
Replacing Dorofeyev’s goals
The biggest hole is on the wing. Dorofeyev scored 72 goals across the past two seasons, including 33 on the power play, before Vegas sent the pending restricted free agent to the New York Rangers. He then signed a seven-year contract worth $77 million, carrying an $11 million average annual value.
Despite his scoring, Dorofeyev was not expected to fit comfortably into a healthy Vegas top six. The Golden Knights will try to replace his output by committee, with Karlsson and Stone back, Mitch Marner and Brett Howden coming off a productive playoff partnership, and Jack Eichel expected to shoot more on the man advantage.
Marner led the postseason with 29 points, posting 10 goals and 19 assists. Howden led all playoff scorers with 14 goals. Craig also intends to get more offense from the blue line, a notable possibility with Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson in the projected defense group.
Olofsson gets another Vegas chance
Victor Olofsson is the most notable newcomer after agreeing to a one-year, $1.075 million deal on July 2. The 31-year-old scored 13 goals last season, netting 11 in 60 games with the Colorado Avalanche and two in 18 appearances for the Calgary Flames.
Vegas has seen what Olofsson can do in its sweater. He scored 15 times in 56 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25, and his NHL high remains the 28 goals he delivered in 75 games for the Buffalo Sabres in 2022-23. Slated for a third-line assignment, a 20-goal season from Olofsson would go a long way toward cushioning Dorofeyev’s departure.
Goaltending starts with Hart and Hill
Carter Hart seized the crease after Tortorella took over last season and held it through the playoffs. Hill, meanwhile, did not see postseason action despite starting 14 games during Vegas’ 2023 Cup-winning run.
Hill’s regular season was a difficult one: a 10-9-6 record, 3.04 goals-against average, .871 save percentage and one shutout. McCrimmon remains confident that Hill is better than those results showed, while Craig plans to use both goaltenders early. With two extra games on the schedule, Hill should have room to reset and reclaim a meaningful share of the workload.
Bowman’s next step and Barbashev’s opportunity
Braeden Bowman enters the final year of his two-year entry-level deal with a strong vote of confidence from the organization. Vegas signed the undrafted forward to a six-year, $20.4 million extension on Sept. 10. The agreement begins next season and carries a $3.4 million annual cap hit.
The 23-year-old had eight goals and 18 assists in 54 games with Vegas last season. He was even more productive in the American Hockey League, producing 12 goals and 14 assists in 20 games for Henderson.
Ivan Barbashev is another forward positioned for a larger offensive role. He set a career best with 61 points last season and could receive added top-six and power-play responsibility with Dorofeyev gone. Barbashev has possible exposure to Eichel, Karlsson or Tomas Hertl, while Theodore could return to the first power-play unit after Vegas used five forwards on that group last season.
Barbashev produced 16 high-danger goals and 64 high-danger shots on goal last season, placing him in the 92nd and 88th percentiles among NHL forwards in those categories. He also supplied 137 hits and finished plus-20.
Projected Golden Knights lineup
| Position | Projected group |
|---|---|
| First line | Ivan Barbashev — Jack Eichel — Mark Stone |
| Second line | Brett Howden — William Karlsson — Mitch Marner |
| Third line | Victor Olofsson — Tomas Hertl — Braeden Bowman |
| Fourth line | Alexander Holtz — Nic Dowd — Marc Gatcomb |
| Defense pair | Brayden McNabb — Shea Theodore |
| Defense pair | Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson |
| Defense pair | Parker Wotherspoon — Jeremy Lauzon |
| Goaltenders | Carter Hart; Adin Hill |
The formula in Vegas is straightforward: keep the core healthy, find enough finishing to cover for Dorofeyev, and make sure Craig’s first NHL club arrives in the postseason with its legs and confidence intact.
