(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)
Now, Jason’s picks, as well as a smattering of predictions from the SinBin Discord server. If you missed Ken’s, they can be found here.
Call me crazy, but the Golden Knights will lose only twice in the month of November.
This isn’t much of a leap since Vegas annually starts the season off hot under coach Bruce Cassidy. However, this is a slightly different team, so there may be some early chemistry building. By the time November comes around, the Golden Knights will be clicking on all cylinders. Mitch Marner should be settled in, and the defense will have likely adjusted to the absence of Alex Pietrangelo.
My two targeted November defeats are one at home with the Tampa Bay Lightning, while the other is a conference game in Utah. It’s difficult to beat an opponent in their building, never mind twice in four days. Beyond those two games, I see a real possibility of Vegas picking up 22+ points in the second month of action. Oh, and I also expect the Golden Knights to have a competitive October. Don’t be shocked when the local club is comfortably in first place in the Pacific Division on December 1st.
Call me crazy, but Vegas will have 15 players score 10 or more goals.
Last season, the Golden Knights saw 11 players score 10 goals, but expect that to increase in 2025-26. First, let’s add Mitch Marner. The newest Golden Knight averages 28 per season, so that makes 12 players.
When Vegas traded for Brandon Saad in February, he had scored seven previous goals with St. Louis. Saad registered six as a Golden Knight and completed another 10+ goal 2024-25 season. Although he’s getting older, the two-time Stanley Cup champion has never scored fewer than ten goals in any season. The same goes for Reilly Smith.
Rounding out the top 15 projected goal scorers are William Karlsson and Shea Theodore. The two-way center missed a good chunk of the season and still closed out with nine goals. A healthy Karlsson gets closer to 20, so use a pen to count a minimum of ten goals for the Original Misfit. As for Theodore, more on him below.
Call me crazy, but Shea Theodore WILL finally reach 15 goals this season.
This is the year. The top-pair defenseman will get plenty of chances to exceed his 14-goal career high with the addition of Marner and the subtraction of Pietrangelo.
Sure it was preseason, but did you happen to notice Theodore was the only player eager to take shots on the power play? If that’s the plan, then 15 goals could be a low projection. He’ll have several opportunities on Vegas’ top PP unit each night to score (assuming he gets and/or keeps the role on it). Theodore will be one of the biggest beneficiaries playing alongside Vegas’ two top playmakers. Forget 15 goals, 18 minimum for Theodore. Book it.
Full disclosure, I have poorly predicted 15 goals scored by Theodore for three straight seasons. So, I guess you can officially call me crazy.
Call me crazy, but another Golden Knight will end Brayden McNabb’s two-year +/- title run this season.
Last year, McNabb ended the season with an astounding +42 plus/minus rating, the second-best in the entire NHL. It’s just business for the big fella as he’s the franchise leader with an impressive +135 rating.
Star center Jack Eichel trailed McNabb by ten last season and has eclipsed the defenseman once before. In 2022-23, Eichel was +26 while his teammate was +17. I could see Eichel, Marner, or Theodore all battling McNabb for the +/- crown.
Submissions from the SinBin Discord
Elliott
Call me crazy, but the Golden Knights will have a goalie goal in the playoffs.
M@
Call me crazy, but William Karlsson will score 40+ goals in the regular season.
Everett
Call me crazy, but the golden knights will have both a top 10 PP and PK this season
Shamwow 16-0
Call me crazy, but Theo will be a Norris finalist after being asked to step up as the certified, undeniable #1 dman on the roster (and he won’t come third in voting either)
SpunkyTender
Call me crazy, but the VGK will remain healthy enough to not need to use the LTIR loophole (ignoring Petro)
Sterling
Call me crazy, but Holtz will sign & end up playing more than 60 games
Salming
Call me crazy, but Cassidy won’t be a VGK head coach at the end of the season.
markyjoe
Call me crazy, but Jack Eichel breaks the team record for goals in a season with 48 goals, but 44 comes on a hat trick in an empty net
WolFronkSeravalli
Call me crazy, but Mitch Marner continues the trend of hated ex-Leafs shining with other teams and wins the Conn Smythe Trophy.
CJBear71
Call me crazy but, VGK will play less than 15 power plays all year with 5 forwards as the best power play unit has Marner as QB and Theo as the shooter instead of Doro. Theo finishes the year with 8 PPG.
Karradin
Call me crazy, but Ken will finally get to see Connor Garland in gold as he will be acquired at the trade deadline by VGK
JennR
Call me crazy but by the time the season is over we’ll have had a goalie controversy version 2.0 (probably due to a hill injury last season seemed a fluke for him)
Emmanuel
Call me crazy but Jeremy Davies is listed on the opening roster!
Emmanuel
Alexander “the Great” Holtz signed for 2 years @ 837k/year.
Pistol Pete
Less than his qualifying offer. As a signed RFA he can be assigned to the HSK.
https://www.nhl.com/goldenknights/news/vegas-golden-knights-sign-forward-alexander-holtz-to-two-year-contract?wv=true
Pistol Pete
My assumption is because he is a restricted agent up to 2029 and that his contract is one way meaning he gets paid the full salary playing in the AHL that he can be moved to Henderson without first being placed on waivers. I stand to be corrected on this.
Pistol Pete
Understanding waivers eligibility tends to be confusing until you finally get it lol. Appears whether the restricted agent has a one way or two way contract has no bearing on waivers eligibility. Once your age and NHL games played reach milestones you become eligible irregardless. Looks like Holtz may not be/is not waivers exempt after all lol.
Pistol Pete
Ken confirms it. Not waivers exempt.
A local article suggested Holtz could be on the cusp between the NHL and AHL but did not mention waivers. It does remain likely imho that he would not clear them.
Maybe Sterling above is right!
Sterling
Call me crazy, but Holtz will sign & end up playing more than 60 games
Larry
Could someone please tell me if Lavoie and Rondjberg are still members of the VGK organization? I sure hope Lavoie still is cause I think he has a decent NHL future.
Emmanuel
Both are listed as being in Henderson by Elite prospects & wikipedia.
Larry
Emmanuel thank you, I have not a care in the world about Rondjberg but I definitely think Lavoie has an upside.
Larry
Call me crazy if VGK thinks Holtz is a viable option as the first call up and I shudder to think he will play 60 games.
Call me crazy but I think Saad will be placed on waivers by the time 30 games have been played.
Call me crazy but I think the Hertl line will be our weakest.
Call me crazy but I think the goal total of the Karlsson line will account for 63 goals this year while still being defensively responsible.
Call me crazy but Marner will score the first goal tomorrow on the very first shift he is out there!
Emmanuel
There was a band named “shudder to think”! On the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack.
I like Holtz but at 23 hes running out of runway, as ive said before hed be better off on a rebuilding team like Sharks/Blackhawks.
I think a roster with the likes of Saad & Smith in top 9 roles should give pause to fans who think we are Cup favorites. Losing Pietro is also being brushed off as if its no consequence.
Jack Hammer
The Hammer has great news!
Jack Eichel has signed a contract extension.