The Vegas Golden Knights followed up their maiden Stanley Cup championship in 2023 with a disappointing seven-game loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars in Round 1 of the 2024 postseason. And the franchise watched a couple of heart and soul players walk afterwards in free agency, led by former Conn Smythe winner and original ‘Golden Misfit’ Jonathan Marchessault but also including Chandler Stephenson, Alec Martinez and Mike Amadio.
All of those players were impactful in the organization’s first title, but general manager Kelly McCrimmon had a proactive plan to rectify the losses, most notably the additions of Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin at the trade deadline. While it’s hard to argue that the Golden Knights’ roster got better in the offseason, it’s also difficult to argue that this isn’t a Stanley Cup contender as currently constructed. They may be weaker than last summer, but the pieces to win are all still there.
Here to assist those pieces are a few other Golden Knights veterans who have never played a game for the club, and could be difference-makers in 2024-25. The play of these fringe players could transform the roster from high-end to elite, although there are question marks that come with each. Here are three vets who could sneakily be game-changers this season.
Victor Olofsson needed a change of scenery
Victor Olofsson broke on the scene with the Buffalo Sabres in 2019-20, amassing a fantastic 20 goals and 42 points in just 54 games in his rookie year. The young sniper looked ready for big numbers in the show after ripping up the SHL — Sweden’s top-tier league — before making the transition to North America.
But the 29-year-olds game has steadily declined since; he’s put together a couple of 40+ point campaigns after his phenomenal rookie showing, but is fresh off his worst season as a professional. Olofsson managed just seven goals and 15 points in 51 games with the Sabres in 2023-24, and watched his spot on the top powerplay unit be usurped in the process.
And with that, it was time for the veteran to get a change of scenery. As an unrestricted free agent, Olofsson signed a one-year, $1.075 million contract with the Golden Knights on July 2. He’ll now have an opportunity to revive his career, with Daily Faceoff projecting him occupying top-line right wing duties along with Eichel and Ivan Barbashev.
The exposure to a superstar like Eichel — Olofsson’s teammate for a few years in Buffalo — could help him return to the type of form he showed in 2021-22, when he amassed a career-best 49 points in 72 games. Although he looked nothing like the player he once was last season, Olofsson will get a prime opportunity with two excellent linemates.
Golden Knights fans shouldn’t hold out hope that he’ll come anywhere near Marchessault’s production, but on a very cheap contract, he has the potential to excel on the strip.
Tanner Pearson could still have some game
To help round out the forward core, the Knights announced the signing of Stanley Cup champion Tanner Pearson to a professional tryout offer earlier this week. It’s the first PTO of the summer for Vegas. Pearson spent last season with the Montreal Canadiens after he was traded from the Vancouver Canucks in 2023.
Like Olofsson, Pearson is a player who looks well past his prime, and the 32-year-old will have to earn his place on the forward core. He managed just five goals and 13 points in 58 games with the Habs last season, although he’s only a few campaigns removed from a 14-goal, 34-point showing in 68 games as a member of the Canucks in 2021-22.
Still, Pearson brings a ton of experience to the roster. Although his Stanley Cup Playoff pedigree is limited, he was excellent as a rookie to help the LA Kings win it all in 2014. He’s bounced around a ton over the last few years, and struggled with injuries, but he should be able to assist in a bottom-six role for a team that is looking to improve its depth down the lineup.
Although he’ll have to battle for a spot, with players like Alex Holtz, Brendan Brisson and Zach Aston-Reese all vying for spots, with the proper utilization, he could be a bounce back candidate in 2024-25. The Knights will be hoping they see shades of a player that once recorded 45 points in a season come training camp.
Ilya Samsonov will compete for starts
The Golden Knights should have a couple of interesting forward roster spot battles come later in September. But the defensive core is basically set, with Theodore, Hanifin, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb, Zach Whitecloud and Nic Hague set to occupy the three pairings.
The same can’t quite be said between the pipes, although Adin Hill will assume starting duties after Logan Thompson was questionably traded to the Washington Capitals earlier this summer. McCrimmon brought in former Toronto Maple Leafs tendie Ilya Samsonov as the backup, and with both goaltenders entering the final year of their respective contracts, there should be no shortage of competition.
Hill is a Vegas hero after his fantastic play throughout the 2023 postseason, culminating in his first Stanley Cup championship. But he has never been a star regular-season netminder, and that’s where Samsonov could begin to challenge. Although the 27-year-old at times struggled mightily under Toronto’s ultra-bright glare, he put together a couple of solid stretches as well — both with the Leafs and Capitals.
While he’ll come into training camp as the backup, Samsonov could certainly earn a few more starts if he can find the form that saw him play to a solid 2.33 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 2022-23. He’s never been strong in the playoffs, but in front of a strong defensive unit in Vegas, he is another bounce back candidate.
None of Olofsson, Pearson and Samsonov have ever played for the Golden Knights, and there’s a real chance that all three of them end up being ineffective. But there’s also upside to each player, and after getting accustomed to life on the strip, the veterans have potential to help this roster return to hockey’s peak.
