The Vegas Golden Knights could not defend their Stanley Cup championship in 2024. Vegas struggled with injuries throughout the season, especially before the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the postseason, the Golden Knights lost to the Dallas Stars in seven games in the very first round.
It was a crushing loss considering the moves Vegas made before the playoffs. The Golden Knights shockingly traded for Tomas Hertl in an NHL Trade Deadline blockbuster. Additionally, they added Noah Hanifin and Anthony Mantha midseason. Coming out of the deadline, it certainly felt as if the Golden Knights were going to go on another deep run.
However, the moves didn't work out for whatever reason. And in the offseason, Vegas lost some important pieces. Jonathan Marchessault signed with the Nashville Predators in NHL Free Agency. William Carrier went to the Carolina Hurricanes. And Chandler Stephenson inked a seven-year contract with the Seattle Kraken.
The Golden Knights have had a lot of roster turnover within the last year. This inherently creates some roster concerns ahead of the new season. In saying that, there is one major roster concern Vegas must address sooner rather than later.
Golden Knights lack top-six scoring punch on the wing
Vegas has a major need for more offense in their top six. For the most part, their centers should be just fine. Jack Eichel is a legitimate star and Tomas Hertl could certainly produce well now that he has a full season in the Sin City. Their need for offense exists on the wing.
Ivan Barbashev could help to some extent. The veteran forward came to the Golden Knights in 2023 through a trade with the St. Louis Blues. Barbashev played center early in his Golden Knights career but could move to the wing in 2024-25. He is coming off a season where he scored 19 goals and 45 points in 82 games.
In saying that, Barbashev has not historically produced at a top-six level. He does have a season in which he scored 26 goals. And that performance came relatively recently. However, that is his only season with 15 or more goals in a single season. His 60 points that year are also a career-high by far.
Beyond Barbashev, there is Mark Stone. The Golden Knights captain has produced at a top-six level, especially since joining the Golden Knights in 2019. But Stone has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons. In fact, he has missed the second half of the season in each of the last two years.
The Golden Knights did add two wingers in the offseason. Victor Olofsson signed a contract after spending the past six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres. In a separate move, Vegas traded for Alex Holtz in a trade with the New Jersey Devils.
Holtz has a lot of promise. He was a top-10 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and recently played his first full season in the league. In saying this, Holtz has little experience in the league. And his rookie season saw him score just 28 points in 82 games.
Olofsson has the experience to make him a viable option. However, he certainly leaves more to be desired offensively. The 29-year-old has scored 20 or more goals in three of his six NHL seasons. He was limited to just 51 games in 2023-24 where he scored seven goals and 15 points.
The Golden Knights have a lot of wingers, so spots will be filled. But there is a lack of scoring evident in their options. There is potential for someone like Holtz or Olofsson to step up. For now, though, adding a top-six scoring winger would be ideal ahead of the 2024-25 season.
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