Even With All Four Forward Lines Changing, VGK Making Changes Along The Blue Line As Well

Less than a week in, the leading word in Training Camp is change. Every line of forwards and every pair of defensemen is different from what the Golden Knights used in any of their seven-game series against the Dallas Stars.

We’ve already touched on the necessary changes in the forward group with the departures of mainstays on all four lines, but the defense looked much more steady losing just Alec Martinez. Yet, even with nothing but familiar faces, all three defense pairings are in line for change as well.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy and his trusty assistant in charge of the defense, John Stevens, could have rolled out the exact same group they did to begin the series in Dallas, instead, they’re relying on something they saw at the end of the season to give them a new look on the back-end.

Some of it developed out of the Hague/Hanifin pair last year that we really liked. Nic played on the right in Juniors. With an extra left stick someone has to go over there. Theodore talked about moving to the other side if an opportunity arrived. -Bruce Cassidy

The new-look pairs have Theodore with Pietrangelo, McNabb with Whitecloud, and as mentioned, Hanifin with Hague.

This means a change in position for both Theodore and Hague, who have each played more than 80% of their games on the opposite side. The move appears to have been made in the name of generating more scoring from the blue line.

We’d like to get more offense out of our back end. Pietrangelo and Theodore are elite defensemen in the league. I think having two drivers on the same pair is not a risk for us because our third pair is Whitecloud and McNabb and they are two good players in the league. -Cassidy

No Golden Knight defenseman scored more than five goals last season (Theodore) and the entire group totaled just 27 goals, which was the 4th fewest in the NHL last season. The year prior, Cassidy’s first season, Vegas got 36 goals from defensemen, just a few short of the league average.

Theodore and Pietrangelo playing together should offer lots of offense, especially when they are on the ice with one of Vegas’ higher-scoring forward lines.

Obviously Theo likes to get up there (into the play) and so do I but I think if we can find that balance with each other… we’re both intelligent hockey players so we’re going to be able to read off each other. -Alex Pietrangelo

Cassidy said he thinks it’s easier to go through some trial and error early in the year as opposed to later. Making the changes early in the season rather than relying on what has worked in the past should offer the Golden Knights staff a bit more information on their team as they head through the season.

It all looks good on paper, now it’s time for the players to make it work on the ice.