Knights key question this season: Who steps up to fill scoring void?
The structure of the Golden Knights’ locker room remains the same.
There are still the same number of stalls, several of which have had the same occupants for years. A few others have seen new residents move in. The camaraderie hasn’t changed. Jokes still fly around the room while golf, soccer or some other sporting event plays on the TV. But the vibe at least appears different after the Knights lost six players to free agency July 1.
Five were part of the team that won the Stanley Cup in 2023.
The most glaring absence is right wing Jonathan Marchessault, the franchise’s all-time leader in goals, points and games played. The 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner for playoff MVP left to sign a five-year contract with the Nashville Predators.
The Knights still expect to have chemistry, still expect to compete for another Cup. Some things just aren’t the same, however.
“It’s definitely a little quieter since Marchy left,” center William Karlsson said, joking.
The Knights can’t replace Marchessault’s boisterous personality or defenseman Alec Martinez’s sarcastic swipes. But they at least have plenty of locker-room leaders in captain Mark Stone, center Jack Eichel, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and others.
Replacing the production that walked out the door is going to be much harder.
The six players the Knights lost — Marchessault, Martinez, center Chandler Stephenson, left wing William Carrier and right wings Michael Amadio and Anthony Mantha — combined for 85 goals and 182 points last season.
The question of who steps up to fill the scoring void is the most important one of the team’s season. The Knights will start to get answers once the puck drops for their opener against the Colorado Avalanche at 7 p.m. Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena.
“The new normal is what we have in this locker room,” Stone said. “I couldn’t be more excited with what we have right now.”
Youth movement
The Knights’ early success always drove their decision making.
Every trade they’ve made since reaching the 2018 Stanley Cup Final came with the goal of finishing the job. Eichel and Stone are in Las Vegas because the Knights believed they were close to a championship. The names on the Stanley Cup prove they were right.
The Knights, however, are going to get younger this season. The average age of the six players they lost is 31 years old. The replacements, led by 23-year-old left wing Pavel Dorofeyev, are less proven, but still carry plenty of intrigue.
Dorofeyev’s play in the preseason has shown he’s ready to be an everyday NHL player. He’s impressed no matter where he’s been put in the lineup.
Dorofeyev, who had a hat trick in Saturday’s 6-5 preseason loss to the San Jose Sharks, had 24 points in 47 games last season. That earned him a two-year, $3.67 million contract July 1.
“You saw it last year. He’s real close to becoming that everyday goal scorer,” Stone said. “He’s willing to get to the areas where goals are not the easiest to get. For him, I think it can be the difference between being a 15-goal scorer and a 30-goal scorer.”
Another young player looking to establish himself is right wing Alexander Holtz.
The Knights acquired the seventh overall pick in the 2020 draft in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on June 29. They’re hoping to tap into more of the 22-year-old’s offensive potential.
Holtz scored 16 goals and 28 points in 82 games last season. His gifts are obvious, but his play away from the puck and his decision making caused him to fall out of favor with the Devils.
The Knights are giving Holtz a chance on their third line to start the year. From there, they’ll see how much of the scoring slack he’ll be able to pick up.
“It’s a really good opportunity for me to come here,” Holtz said.
Playing with Hertl
The two young forwards could start on a line with another player the Knights are hoping takes on some of the scoring burden this year. One who has shown through the years he’s up to the task.
Center Tomas Hertl, 30, is beginning his first full season with the Knights after being acquired prior to the trade deadline in March. His addition helps ease the blow of losing Stephenson.
Hertl isn’t as fast as Stephenson, who had a team-high 127 assists the past three seasons. But he’s strong on the puck in the offensive zone and scored at least 60 points three different years with the Sharks.
Hertl is more than capable of leading a productive line for the Knights. He’ll just have to show he’s healthy after undergoing left knee surgery in February.
“It really matters when the team is together, everybody is pulling from one rope and no one’s playing for the points and all 23 guys can play together,” Hertl said. “That’s how you win the games.”
Replacing Marchessault
Marchessault is a much trickier player to replace given he’s the franchise leader is just about every major offensive statistic.
The first step is seeing who takes his spot on the first line with Eichel and left wing Ivan Barbashev. Right wing Victor Olofsson, who played with Eichel in Buffalo, is expected to get the first opportunity. Stone could slide up to join that group as well.
Olofsson, 29, is a three-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL. He’s also a weapon on the power play, as his 33 goals on the man advantage the last five seasons would have led the Knights.
The question with Olofsson, like Holtz, is whether he can round out his game enough to earn significant minutes. His average time on ice dropped each of his final four years in Buffalo to a career-low 11:34 last season.
“I’m trying to be a shooter, bring an attack mentality as soon as I get the puck,” Olofsson said. “Whether that’s a shot or find someone else in a better position, I’ll have to read and see out there.”
Belief remains
The Knights, despite all the players they lost this offseason, remain confident.
They don’t like that this summer was longer than they are used to. They understand they got more time to rest and recover, but this is a team that is used to making deep playoff runs. The Knights believe they have unfinished business because they were so close to clicking as a unit last season and playing into June again.
That’s one thing that remains the same in the locker room. The expectations are through the roof.
“We still think in this room we’re going to have a chance to win,” Pietrangelo said. “We owe it to each other to put that effort forward. The goal is to put your best foot forward, and that starts now.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.
