It’s not a new season without being called crazy. However, after this year’s submissions, I’m starting to believe I might be clinically insane. Here’s why. Since we began making our unlikely predictions, sadly I’ve jinxed one original Golden Knight year after year. I’m bound to curse one player on this list; let’s hope it’s not him again.
So, let’s kick it off with my first crazy 2026-27 predictions:
Call me crazy, but Tomas Hertl will be VGK’s only 30-goal scorer this season.
It’s not crazy to expect 30 goals from Hertl. He’s reached that mark three times in his career and averages 26 goals per season. The 2025-26 campaign was not Hertl’s best. Let’s be honest, last season was somewhat of a disaster for the 32-year-old Czech. It shouldn’t need saying, but I expect the club and the player to have higher expectations going into 2026-27.
11 5-on-5 goals just won’t cut it from Hertl. I still forecast 10-12 power play goals from him, possibly more with the current power play plan. However, his even-strength goals must increase. Call me crazy but Hertl will lead the Golden Knights this season with 20 EV goals and 34 tallies overall. No one else will reach 30.
Call me crazy, but the Golden Knights will take more than 2,600 shots this season.
Last year, the Golden Knights were asked to take more shots on net. Sadly, they took 105 fewer SOG than they did in the previous season. Top center Jack Eichel led the club with 260 shots, landing 27 more than he did in 2024-25. For the second straight season, the coaches and managers want him to let’em rip even more. So, let’s mark Eichel down for 260. Now for more shots. Four times over his career, Mitch Marner has taken more than 190 shots in a season. Twice he reached 220+. “The Magician” took his fourth-lowest shot total in his first season with Vegas. In his ten-year career, the former Maple Leaf averaged 203 SOG per season. Are you telling me Marner can’t add 20 more shots to his total? Remember, he took 57 shots on net in the 2025-26 playoffs and scored 10 goals. His shooting percentage soared in the postseason, and so did his goal and point total.
That’s just two Golden Knights that I expect will shoot more. What about Mark Stone or Brett Howden? Over his career, Stone is averaging 176 SOG; last year he took 46 fewer. Of course, health has a lot to do with the captain’s production. However, if he dresses for more than 60 games, the Golden Knights should count on more slap, snap, and wrist shots from Stone. Lastly, Vegas should expect much more on the score sheet from Howden. He missed 24 games and only averaged 14 minutes per game. This season, Howden has been elevated and is expected to carry over his success from the postseason into the upcoming regular season. Last season, the 2026 playoff goal leader took only 66 SOG. Expect 100+ in 2026-27. Call me crazy, but VGK will take 2,600 or more shots this season. It’s a number teams used to reach regularly, but year only two teams (COL, CAR) made it there. Vegas will do it this season.
Call me crazy, but Shea Theodore will finally reach 15 goals this season.
I’m not sure why I continue to do this each season. I’ve single-handedly mushed Shea Theodore’s goal total for over five years. Yes, I’m aware my Theodore prediction goes completely against Ken’s lofty Rasmus Andersson expectation. To pile on, Ken also highlighted that Theodore only has two slap shot goals since 2024. While I expect Andersson to have a productive 2026-27, Theodore can as well.
Reaching 15 goals is a difficult mark to reach for most NHL defensemen, but #27 has the accuracy and skill to break his career best. It’ll be challenging, but he should benefit from extended power play time, which will lead to more shots taken from the point. Don’t call me crazy, call me insane, but somehow, someway, Shea Theodore will score 15 goals in 2026-27.
Zamoris on Discord
Call me crazy, but the Golden Knights will have a forward break Karlsson’s single-season goal record.
mundyc3 on Discord
Call me crazy, but VGK will be top 10 in PP without Dorofeyev.
@Bzoyd on Twitter
Call me crazy, but Howden breaks the goals scored in a season record.
CJBear71 on Discord
Call me crazy, but VGK will win the Presidents’ Trophy only to get ironically swept by COL in the Conference Final.
Aliantis on Discord
Call me crazy but the Golden Knights trade away at least one of the remaining players from the inaugural season this year.
Mayhamo on Discord
Call me crazy, but VGK have three centermen with 30 goals.
@mzvgk on Twitter
Call me crazy, but I think we will have two players with triple-digit points this season.
Dean on Discord
Call me crazy, but Ryan Craig will win the Jack Adams.
Kevin Charles on Discord
Call me crazy, but Adin Hill gets past his 2026 injuries/issues, becomes goalie 1A, posts up an .895+ for the season, and starts 50 games this season.
@Sabres1a on Twitter
Call me crazy, but VGK will eventually send Hill to the press box and start Carl Lindbom.
Yoyo on Discord
Call Me Crazy, but the Knights will have a 10 Game Winning Streak during the season. Then lose it on a shootout.
Sterling on Discord
Call me crazy, but Craig transitions the 4th line from the energy line to an all offense child line to bring in some of his top guys from Henderson when injuries start piling up
LocoLexa on Discord
Call me crazy, but Vegas has the NHL’s best record after January 1.
Alix on Discord
Call me crazy, but Jack Eichel scores on the power play 10 times
Emmanuel
Hertl is still very good but hes declining due to age.
He might end up being a Dave Andreychuk type player in his sundown seasons.
Emmanuel
Brendan Brisson & a ton of Minny Wild kids on waivers……
Adolf
Fan der Vegas Golden Knights aus Deutschland. Das wird ein großartiges Jahr.
HSK
they gotta get rid of Hill.
2 pathetic goals against, soft long shots with no screen, and he fans on the first one, and then fumbles the 2nd one, piss poor rebound control, right to the Utah player.
Chisel Chest
I refer to him as “4 goal” Hill because thats what the Knights offense needs to climb everytime he plays.
Chisel Chest
“4 goal Hill” is in mid season form.