Last season, no team was worse at shootout than the Vegas Golden Knights. VGK participated in nine shootouts in 2025-26 and won just one. Of the 11 teams that participated in at least nine, every other team won at least three, and 10 of the 11 won at least four.
Vegas shooters converted on just 16.1% of their attempts (5 for 31), the second-worst mark in the league, ahead of St. Louis, and the goalies stopped 59.3% (19 of 32), ranking 23rd out of 31 teams that participated in at least one.
Those shootout struggles left points on the table. Had things gone slightly differently down the stretch, they could have cost the Golden Knights a playoff berth, and ultimately the run that took them to their third Stanley Cup Final.
Enter: Ryan Craig.
In his first chance behind the bench in the shootout, Craig wasted no time in switching things up from last year. After electing to go first as the home team, Craig sent 23-year-old Braeden Bowman over the boards to take the first attempt.
There’s a lot of trust in all of our players and yet some guys get that opportunity. We saw Bowman do it in the preseason and Trevor as well. I’ve seen him do that at the American Hockey League level. And at that point, it’s a one-on-one with the goalie. I thought those guys did a real good job. -Ryan Craig
Three games, 11 goals, ten different goal scorers.
The Golden Knights are getting contributions from all over the lineup early on, and it’s a big reason why they’ve been able to win a pair of games and nearly come back in the other.
That production has been fueled by a fairly balanced usage of the forward lines at even strength. Aside from the 3rd period of the Anaheim game, when Ryan Craig went down to using just three lines, he’s essentially rolled the four lines, and contributions have followed.
Five different players have an even-strength goal (Marner, Eichel, Connelly, Bowman, Gatcomb) and nine of the 12 have at least a point. The only guys without a point are Mark Stone, William Karlsson, and Tomas Hertl, all of whom have made big impacts on special teams.
I thought all four of our lines were good. I thought different lines had different spurts at at different times. We talked about trying to stack shifts together. -Craig
Early in the season last year, undrafted rookie Braeden Bowman burst onto the scene, stepping into Mark Stone’s spot in the lineup after he was forced out due to injury. Bowman scored goals in four of his first six games and posted nine points in his first 11 games.
When Stone returned, Bowman headed down the lineup for a little while before ending the regular season in the AHL. He finished the season with eight goals and 26 points in 54 games. He also played in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, the only playoff game he participated in.
Heading into 26-27, Bowman appears to be a lock to start the season not only on the roster, but in the everyday lineup. The Golden Knights furthered that by announcing a fairly significant contract extension for Bowman yesterday afternoon. The deal, which starts next season, is for six seasons and valued at $3.4 million AAV.
The contract is a preemptive bet that Bowman will at least grow into a player worth the price VGK paid today, but possibly exceed it in the future. The Golden Knights are banking on two things in signing this deal. First, that Bowman will not only become a full-time NHL player, but one who will have an every-night impact on the roster, likely in the top-nine. Second, the salary cap will continue to go up, which means the value of a player today is lower than it will be next summer or the one after that.
The second part appears to be an inevitability. Unless there’s another global pandemic, the days of the flat cap appear to be long gone. Thus, what a middle-six player is worth today is likely what a fourth-liner will be worth in a few years. In other words, even if Bowman is a fourth-line player in a few years, this contract won’t be harmful.
It’s the first part that is a bit more up in the air, and why this contract has the Golden Knights taking a risk. As mentioned above, Bowman’s career launched extremely successfully, racking up nearly a point per game for his first 10 games. But then, it slowed down, which unsurprisingly coincided with him being moved down the lineup upon Stone’s return.
In 15 of his first 16 games in the NHL, he was on the top line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev. He’d return to that line on and off again over the rest of the season, but more often than not, when in the lineup, he was placed in the bottom-six. The difference in output is stark, especially when considering his projected place in the lineup this season (on a third line with Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson).
The Golden Knights will enter a do-or-die Game 6 with a massive hole in their lineup. William Karlsson left Game 5 with a serious arm injury and will not be available for tonight’s game at T-Mobile Arena. Head coach John Tortorella is playing his cards close to the vest, refusing to reveal which player will draw into the lineup or the modified lines.
VGK have played a lot without Karlsson this season. The star shutdown center missed 68 games in the regular season and didn’t join the Vegas lineup until the start of the Second Round against Anaheim. There are three options as a replacement forward to draw in for Karlsson, and unfortunately, none of them are like-for-like swaps.
The most likely player to play tonight is Brandon Saad. The 33-year-old veteran left winger has been Tortorella’s first choice option off the bench most of this postseason. Saad has played five games and stepped in during the Anaheim series when Mark Stone went out and remained in the lineup until the captain returned. His last game was Game 2 of the Western Conference Final on May 22nd.
The player most fans want to draw into the lineup is Reilly Smith. The original Golden Knight had an impactful regular season, scoring 16 goals in 69 games and playing all over the VGK lineup. He’s comfortable playing on the left or right side and has found success in both offensive and defensive roles. He started all six games of the First Round and averaged about 10 minutes of ice time during regulation. Once Karlsson returned, Smith drew out, and he hasn’t played since May 1st.
The final option is a long shot, but he has thrived in that role in his young career. 22-year-old undrafted Braeden Bowman burst onto the scene in November, scoring four goals in his first six NHL appearances. He’s a crafty right-handed player who does most of his damage extremely close to the goal. He probably would need to be used alongside a skilled center and winger to make an impact, but he offers much more upside than Saad or Smith. Bowman has yet to make an appearance in this postseason.
There are a bunch of different line combinations the Golden Knights could go with in the absence of one of their most important and versatile forwards. We’ll start with the lineup from the last time Karlsson missed a game, Game 6 of the First Round.
Over the weekend, the Golden Knights prospects took the ice at the South Suburban Sports Complex in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. VGK’s rookies put forth a pair of excellent performances as a team, walking away with a pair of wins, 8-1 over Utah and 3-2 over Colorado.
(Photo Credit: @Avalanche on X/Twitter)
These types of “tournaments” are held every year, and having watched just about every game over the course of Vegas’ nine seasons, I can confidently say this is the best the group in gold has ever looked. The Golden Knights carried the play for the majority of both games, felt dangerous in the offensive zone and on the rush consistently, and looked like a team that’s been playing together for years (not four days as they actually have) defensively.
Here are eight takeaways from the games.
Braeden Bowman is a stud. He’s not particularly big, he’s not the fastest guy on the ice, and he rarely does anything overly flashy. Instead, he’s just a damn good hockey player who makes the right play every time he’s near the puck. He was noticeable just about every shift he took in Colorado, both offensively and defensively, and he elevates the game of the players around him. There probably isn’t a spot quite yet for him on the NHL squad, but don’t be surprised at all if he’s one of the first call-ups.
What a weekend for the two goalies. Carl Lindbom got the first game and looked like a seasoned pro in the net. He’s excellent at stopping anything that comes in along the ice, which was a majority of the shots he faced against the Mammoth prospects. He wasn’t tested nearly as much as Cameron Whitehead, who also put forward a solid outing. Whitehead made one incredible back-door stop and had to deny a few other Grade A opportunities. VGK clearly had the best goalies of the three teams on the weekend.
The latest update to our prospect rankings is here. The draft inserted just four new players into the mix but a bevy of undrafted free agents have pushed their way into the Top 10. Here are the top five skaters, to find the full rankings, click here…
Must be younger than 23 years old for skaters, 25 years old for goalies
Cannot have played more than 10 NHL games
Must be either under contract or drafted by the Golden Knights
Players are ranked based on value to the organization. The most important factor is the player’s ceiling, or how good they can eventually become, but also taken into consideration is how close they are to playing in the NHL and how likely they are to play in the NHL. This is NOT a ranking of which players are the best if a game were to be held today.
Removed since last update: Daniil Chayka (Contract Terminated), Artur Cholach (Rights Expired), Isaiah Saville (Contract Expired)
When Connelly has been healthy enough to be on the ice, in a VGK, Providence, or Team USA jersey, he’s the undisputed best prospect in the Golden Knights’ system, and honestly, it’s not even close. The trouble has been keeping him healthy as he missed a portion of the college season at Providence, a chunk of the 2024 Development Camp, and the latter half of the World Junior Summer Showcase. It’s possible he misses Training Camp and maybe the beginning of the upcoming season as well.
More on Connelly
8/12/24 – Ranking: 1 – On the ice, Connelly looks every bit the part of a 1st round pick. He was terrific in his single scrimmage at Development Camp before picking up an injury that kept him out of the second one. His speed is noticeable in all three zones, he has poise with the puck, and his playmaking ability both shooting and passing, is excellent. Supposedly, there was some discussion of signing an ELC and heading to the WHL this season, but instead, he’ll go to Providence College. He is the clear blue-chip prospect in the VGK system at the moment; it’ll be up to him to continue on that path.
There’s a lot to like about the solidity of Sedoff’s game. He’s not the most flashy player, but he makes the right decision more often than not, he moves well, and he’s plenty big enough to survive at the NHL level. If the Golden Knights are in a pinch for a defenseman this year, don’t be surprised if Sedoff is the one who gets the call. He probably caps out as a third-pair stay-at-home type guy, but he’ll earn the trust of most coaches quickly, which goes a long way, especially for young guys.
More on Sedoff
8/12/24 – Ranking: 8 – Sedoff is a strong skating defenseman who is very good in front of the goal. He doesn’t contribute a ton of offense but his puck-moving skills, especially with his back to the play, are strong. He’ll look to tally his first professional goal this season after going goalless in 46 games in Henderson last season.
This is a big year for Cataford as it’ll be his first real test against true professional players. He’s done nothing but produce in the QMJHL, and he posted two points in four games at the end of the AHL season. He’s not overly impressive at any individual skill; he just finds ways to get the job done. There’s definitely some upside with his game, but there’s also a lot of volatility based on his below-average skating.
More on Cataford
8/12/24 – Ranking: 2 – What a year it was for Cataford. The well-rounded offensive weapon posted 40 goals and 90 points in 65 games en route to winning the league MVP in the high-scoring QMJHL. He then came to the Silver Knights for a few games at the end of the season and didn’t look completely out of place, recording two assists. In Development Camp there were times he looked like an offensive dynamo but also moments where his foot speed appeared to need improvement as he moved up in competition level This Summer he was dealt in the QMJHL for five picks including two 1st rounders to Memorial Cup hosts, Rimouski. He’ll play one more season in Juniors before leaping the AHL. Expect massive numbers this year once again.
10/5/23 – Ranking: 6 – Cataford is off to a blazing start in the Q, scoring six points in his first three games. Not unexpected, but he did not show much in Development Camp and did not play in the rookie games. He plays with a lot of energy and definitely seems like a complementary player as opposed to a true line driver, however, he’s still so young, so there’s tons of time to develop.
4) Jakob Ihs-Wozniak (F) Acquired: 2025 Entry Draft, 2nd Round, #55 overall Age: 18 (February 1, 2007) Most Recent Team: Lulea (Sweden) Previous Ranking: NR
The man from a land down under has an absolute cannon of a shot, and he’s not afraid to use it. He did not do a ton in his stint in the big leagues in Sweden, but few do at the age of 18. At junior levels and on the international stage, he’s scored goals and put up points like a 2nd round pick should. The challenge for him is going to be his compete level. At times, he has “disappeared” from games, especially big games, and that simply can’t happen once he arrives in North America.
5) Braeden Bowman (F) Acquired: Undrafted Free Agent (Signed March 2, 2025) Age: 22 (July 26, 2003) Most Recent Team: Henderson Silver Knights (AHL) Previous Ranking: NR
One of the more consistent players for the Silver Knights, Bowman impressed enough to earn an NHL contract. Maybe the best thing Bowman has going for him though is the way his teammates talk about him. Multiple players at Development Camp mentioned that he’s easy to play with and incredibly impressive on the ice. His AHL production slowed down at the end of the season a bit, which is concerning, but there was enough in the first half to believe he can continue to do it this year again.
