Bruce Cassidy entered the 2025-26 season with a pretty good idea of how he thought his new-look forward group would match up best together. That involved a top line including Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner, the trusty duo of William Karlsson and Reilly Smith, and a trio that worked a year ago in Pavel Dorofeyev, Tomas Hertl, and Brandon Saad.
Not even three games into the season, he had seen enough and pulled the trigger on a line swap that saw three of the four forward lines change in the middle of the game in Seattle.
Original Lineup
Barbashev-Eichel-Marner
Saad-Hertl-Dorofeyev
Smith-Karlsson-Stone
Howden-Sissons-Kolesar
Switched Lineup
Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Dorofeyev-Hertl-Marner
Saad-Karlsson-Smith
Howden-Sissons-Kolesar
Positional flexibility is key when Cassidy opts to mix up the lines. In the top nine, there are four wingers with left-handed sticks (Barbashev, Dorofeyev, Saad, Smith) and just two righties (Stone, Marner). So, when switching things around, Cassidy has to use at least one winger on his “off-side.”
Through nearly two full years in the NHL, Pavel Dorofeyev has been an excellent option to play that position. Cassidy and the Golden Knights learned this almost by accident.
It came out of necessity when he came up. He played with Smith and Karlsson and I wanted to get Smith back on the left so he went on the right and we liked it. Somebody probably got hurt, I know I tried a few guys, we tried him and he was able to do it. -Cassidy
Dorofeyev spent 69 of his 82 regular season games, and all but one of his eight playoff games, on the right side of the VGK lineup. He thrived in that position a year ago, and Cassidy appeared happy to keep him there in his first-choice lineup, but when it came time to shuffle the deck, he was comfortable with Dorofeyev being one of the players to switch sides.
There’s always the one-timer aspect of it in the O-Zone. But I think Pav finds a way to get his shot off. I bet he could play center and he’d get his shot off, that’s just what he likes to do. He’s got a good sense of where he is. -Cassidy
Digging through the numbers, Dorofeyev certainly had more consistent offensive success last season playing on the right, but he definitely didn’t struggle on the left. In the 13 games on the left, Dorofeyev scored three goals, registered four points, and landed 34 of his 62 shot attempts on goal. In other words, he’s going to shoot the puck, and shoot it often, no matter which side he’s on.
The current experiment has Dorofeyev with Hertl and Marner, which could turn out to be an excellent line. If it’s not, or if the others struggle around them, expect Cassidy to flip Dorofeyev back to the right more often than not.
I think the European guys are a little more used to it. They grow up playing their off sides a little more than we do here. He seems to have good strength coming on those inside cuts so he’s on his backhand going into the middle of the ice and now he’s in a better shooting position. He seems to be able to handle traffic that way. Some guys have an easier job of that. Pav’s always been able to do that. -Cassidy
Neither Brandon Saad nor Ivan Barbashev has ever started a game with the Golden Knights on the right side. So, it has to come down to Dorofeyev or Smith. Reilly has done a lot of it, and can handle it just fine, but he may be the one impacted more by the switch than Dorofeyev.
Jake
Switching players around won’t change the dynamic that Vegas appears “old” on the ice, especially the forwards.
These younger, “rebuilding” type teams pose a challenge now and in the future.
Emmanuel
The Pac 8 is so weak, theyll waltz into the playoffs.
Emmanuel
Switched Lineup
Barbashev-Eichel-Stone
Dorofeyev-Hertl-Marner
Saad-Karlsson-Smith
Howden-Sissons-Kolesar
I like it, VGK are a top heavy team, lines SHOULD be stacked.
Id flip Howden & Saad.
Only concern is Doro does, by far, most of his damage from the other side.
knights fan in minny
Agree on Howdy andsaad Switch
DruBlu
Yes! I like that idea as well. A Brettsky and Saader swap would be just what the dragon ordered. I often like what I see from Howds when he’s top 9.
NAM
Devils advocate is that bottom line is getting better and better IMO with Howden and Howden even scored. I like him on that line, but then again I like him better than Saad, overall, right now, on any line. Saad and Hertl need to find their game. It’s been a brutal slow start. For now anyway, this is not close to the same line as last year.
Pistol Pete
That was a beautiful pass by Hertl from behind the goal to Pav in the Seattle game he could not quite bury it. That line is playing hard like all our lines. The goals will come. Saad has been much better in his career than Howden no comparison he’s just getting up there in age. His career pts/game is not much below Karlsson and Smith and his goals per 82 games is higher than both.
TS
Spread the wealth. It makes every line better. Cassidy is not afraid to change it up, shake it up, esp.with new players to fit in. I’m confident he’ll find the right fit.
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Pistol Pete
I’m inclined to think Marner will elevate Eichel’s scoring more than Stone. Just as much depth playing Stone down. If Stone scores more with Eichel that would be a factor just so long as Hertl scores more with Marner. I’d leave Howden on the 4th for scoring depth. Saad’s career stats are far superior to Howden but then he’s getting up there in age and Howden is hopefully elevating his game to another level based on last year. Lots of combos time will tell. All that matters is scoring in a fashion that can be replicated in the playoffs. I know, first we have start scoring lol.
NAM
Good job Doro for the NHL star of the week. He has done his primary job extremely well to this point. Kid can find the back of the net on those big shots for sure. Still would like to see growth away from the shooting, but so far it has been alright.
Not going to lie I was extremely worried that Vegas would end up with only the one guy that can put the puck in the net and so far they haven’t shown me anything to ease my worried mind. Doro gets hurt and this team may not hardly score at all. This current playoff-style dirty-goals strategy is kind of like Deboer trying to get this team to have a better power play. It may not be in the current team’s DNA.
Pistol Pete
They sure scored a lot last year though didn’t they (until they got to EDM)? Don’t know why this year will be any different, should be better with Marner setting everybody up. The challenge is not letting round two happen again.
Impossible to draw many conclusions three games in.
ThG
Pavel is starting to make fellow Russian Ivan look bad.
So far Marner is not advertised as promised. Prior results are not indicative of
future performance. Maybe Toronto knew something that FO didn’t know? He’s not that fast, he’s not that good on puck, his advertised defense hasn’t shown up yet.
We have Marner, Two new d man, a relatively new forward, two old forwards who have obviously lost a step or two from their misfit days, a center who was never that fast. A team full of high IQ hockey players. It may take some time to gel with all new , and old faces playing with new players.
ThG
RE: Pavel: teams are reviewing the tapes and starting to take away his happy zone(s) on ice. Seattle reviewed the tapes.
Regarding Hill “he’s not going to be carrying the team on his back” . He carried the team to SC win and that is all that counts. BTW he carried team to playoffs last year, playing most games he ever played in regular season.
As far as goalies who played over 50 games last year from Quant Hockey, only
7 goalies had higher save percentage (TB, WIN, DAL, CAL, LAK, NYI, MIN). Fifty games in a significant representative sample size.
So this comment “He’d be the back up goaltender on at least 10 other NHL clubs” belongs in the round file because he was better than 7 teams other goalies by simple common logic application.
Have a nice day folks.
Emmanuel
Hill didnt “carry” sh*t.
The F got hot all at the same time plus the blue line was the best since ‘07 Anaheim.
ThG
“All got hot at same time” 80 game schedule says your post is full of shit
HereForHockey
As we know 3 games is definitely not enough time for these new faces and pairings to coalesce.
I agree, like NAM mentioned having only 1 scorer is a bit worrying.
We’ll just have to play out some more games to see if it’s rust, age or simply needing time to adapt.
Pav definitely knows his role and has his own “office” and seems to do ok in his satellite office regardless of what other teams review.
It will be interesting to see what Cassidy’s take was on the changed pairings by starting game 4 the same like Ken mentioned if not going well swap back.
Saad definitely needs to find his game. Howdy already has.
Pistol Pete
I would not put a lot of stock in the line juggling the SEA game Cassidy routinely does this to spark things in a game where he needs a goal it does not change his lines which is as the game started count on Marner being with Eichel as that makes the most sense they have eight years to develop chemistry which will continue to build beginning now and I am seeing Marner’s defensive skills already the guy is just all around good.
Pistol Pete
Personally I think Marner looks amazing obviously a special talent 743 pts 660 games. He’s fast his edging and agility are insane unbelievable playmaker hockey IQ. Only three games in with a new team new system it’s folly to even comment on his performance and have it mean anything. Clearly period three Kings game is a harbinger of things to come. Not a lot of puck luck so far for the team except the PP has been really good and Marner anchoring the blue line is working his agility and ability on the puck.
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/46436659/nhl-2025-26-mitch-marner-vegas-golden-knights-toronto-maple-leafs-playoffs
Pistol Pete
Hope Hanifin comes back soon like for the Flames can’t help with him out. We need some puck luck tonight i.e. Whitecloud hitting a post in a 1-1 game on the road vs. the Kraken is not puck luck. This team is effing playing hard as usual.
Pistol Pete
Eichel and Marner are two of the most gifted skilled forwards in the league each dynamic in their own ways both great playmakers and puck handlers superior in tight spaces. Eichel has the stride Marner exceptional agility. Eichel can shoot and finish which is why when they are scoring which they will they belong together juggling lines is for when scoring goes flat in a particular game which happens from time to time. Marner was acquired to play with Eichel to elevate Eichel’s scoring and for Eichel to elevate his the next eight years will be a testament to it.
Pistol Pete
First post above:
“Switching players around won’t change the dynamic that Vegas appears “old” on the ice, especially the forwards.
These younger, “rebuilding” type teams pose a challenge now and in the future.”
That’s all well and fine but I’m looking hard for one of these teams that is actually getting anywhere. Young talent is never enough. Veteran grit, older players win out. Coaching is paramount.
As this roster ages out Stone, Karlsson, Smith, Saad and we’ll put Hertl in there too, McCrimmon will build around his core of Eichel, Marner, Dorofeyev, Theodore and Hanifin. Hopefully Henderson will produce a top six forward in Connelly and a bottom six D in Kmec. Forwards with bottom six potential include Uronen, Uchacz and Bowman along with others. No doubt he’ll eventually have to acquire top veterans to keep the roster in contention. The cap is going up and by 2027-28 he’ll have more space to work with and more beyond that. McPhee and McCrimmon make one very savvy FO two brainy guys who know the game both as players and managers.
Pistol Pete
Will this be the season Pav ups his playmaking and loads up on assists? He currently has exactly double the goals.
60G/30A—152 games (+14)
+/- a fair reflection of his being defensively responsible plus he’s getting better at it. Note that probably in excess of 20 of his goals are on the power play for which you can not be awarded +.