Inside look at Vegas Golden Knights

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Vegas Golden Knights will celebrate their 10th season by doing what they've always done: evolve, maintain a high standard and chase the Stanley Cup.

Since entering the NHL in 2017-18, the Golden Knights have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs eight times in nine seasons. They have won 401 regular-season games, fifth in the League, and 76 playoff games and 15 playoff series, more than any other team in each category. They advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2018, won the Cup in 2023 and returned to the Final last season.

They have changed coaches multiple times and consistently turned over the roster under president of hockey operations George McPhee and general manager Kelly McCrimmon. This season, they'll have another star-studded lineup with another new coach and more new additions, and they'll keep looking for ways to improve.

"I really like our team," McCrimmon said. "It's going to look different, which it does every year. That's our business. But I think, over time, we've always had a really good understanding of what the team needs to look like in order to have a chance to win."

The Golden Knights shocked the hockey world with eight games remaining last season by firing Bruce Cassidy, the coach who led them to the Stanley Cup in 2023. But it paid off. They went 21-8-1 under John Tortorella — 7-0-1 in the regular season and 14-8 in the playoffs — coming within two wins of a championship.

Then, three days after losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, they promoted Ryan Craig. Although the 44-year-old has never been an NHL head coach, he has been with the Vegas organization from the start, spending six seasons as an NHL assistant and three as coach of Henderson of the American Hockey League.

"This team's been built through standards since Day 1, and those standards aren't going to change," Craig said. "You talked about winning the Stanley Cup or competing for the Stanley Cup. That's the standard that is in this organization.

"As for expectations, we're going to go about our business day in and day out with the goal in mind to continue to build, stack and get better each and every day so that we have an opportunity, when the calendar flips in mid-April, to compete for the trophy."

Vegas' returning players include forwards Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Tomas Hertl, William Karlsson, Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden; defensemen Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, Brayden McNabb and Rasmus Andersson; and goalies Carter Hart and Adin Hill.

Forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Keegan Kolesar and Colton Sissons left this offseason, along with defenseman Kaedan Korczak and goalie Akira Schmid. But the Golden Knights added forwards Victor Olofsson and Marc Gatcomb, and defenseman Parker Wotherspoon, and have players rising through the system.

Dorofeyev led Vegas in goals in each of the past two seasons, scoring 35 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2025-26. Olofsson had 29 points (15 goals, 14 assists) in 56 games for Vegas in 2024-25, then had 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 78 games with the Colorado Avalanche and Calgary Flames last season.

"We wanted to add someone who has a history of being able to score goals, which Victor does," McCrimmon said. "We had him, so we know the player. We liked more about his game, then and now, than just the fact that he's a shooter, but he brings that skill set to our game. He's responsible. He's a smart player, so I think he'll find a good spot in our lineup."

Kolesar (1,418) ranks second in franchise history in hits behind McNabb (1,469). Gatcomb had 192 hits in 49 games for the New York Islanders last season and was first on the team in hits per 60 minutes (23.30). McCrimmon said Gatcomb and center Nic Dowd probably give the Golden Knights two-thirds of the identity they want for their fourth line.

"I think we're comfortable that the players are there," McCrimmon said. "It's a matter of seeing how they play and making those decisions as we go along."

Wotherspoon partnered with Erik Karlsson and averaged 20:10 of ice time for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

"He's turned into a really good NHL defenseman," McCrimmon said.

McCrimmon said the Golden Knights are comfortable that Carl Lindbom is ready to be the No. 3 goalie in the organization, and forward Braeden Bowman an everyday NHL player after he had 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 54 games for Vegas last season. The question is what role he earns.

Forwards Trevor Connelly, Tanner Laczynski and Kai Uchacz are among a group of seven or eight players who will have an opportunity to compete for NHL roles as well.

"We've created some opportunities for new players who are coming in," McCrimmon said, "and I think we've seen here in the past that sometimes, for people to blossom and take a step, there has to be opportunity in front of them."