Golden Knights at Quarter-Mark: Resilience is the name of the game – Hockey Writers – Vegas Golden Knights
If you looked closely at the edges, the Vegas Golden Knights Knights’ start of the 2025-26 campaign looks respectable, comfortable. Sitting sixth in the league with 27 points is not a problem. However, anyone who watches the tape knows that this first half was out of line.
In the 22-game mark, Vegas has a 10-5-7 record. They are a smart bunch – oscillating between the restoration of dominance where it looks like a trophy, and times of playing “Ice Cold” hockey. However, the most important basic metric is durability. They managed to collect points in their 17 matches.
Head Coach Bruce Cassidy, never one to mince words, put it well when evaluating the team’s rejection of the wrap: “It tells you a little bit about our team.”
What we can tell you is that despite significant headwinds, the Gold Knights have maintained their organizational integrity. But as we head into the winter months, the question remains: Is this steady momentum, or is it skating on thin ice?
Walking around the hospital
It wouldn’t be Vegas season without a discussion about the Injured Reserve. The defining feature of these first 22 games has been roster fluidity due to significant health issues among key personnel. Ammentee’s current roster is impressive: Captain Mark Stone (Wrist), Goaltender Adin Hill, and Center William Karlsson (lower body) all designated week.
The loss of the stone is mainly concerned with being given a historical context. Going back to the 2021-22 season, the captain missed almost 130 games. When he’s in the lock, the Golden Knights are a different animal; When he is out, the burden changes dramatically. Similarly, lower-body issues have plagued him in three of the past four seasons, raising legitimate questions about his fitness in the game’s most sought-after position.
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This can’t be found in Vegas holding hands against elite competition, exposing gaps in special teams and goaltending. However, the mentality of the “next man up” – often a sports cliché in sports – has been an obvious necessity here. The coaching staff is forced to lean on depth, giving increased minutes to players who might otherwise be in the bottom-six.
Blue safety vest
While the front team has become a counterattacking door, the defensive corps has been sluggish. Even without Alex Pierangelo, the Golden Knights Defensive metrics are Elite. They are currently tied for 12th in goals against and third in shots allowed per game.
The driving force behind this push is the combination of Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Cassidy did not protect the couple. They are consistently ranked among the top lines in the league, yet they have produced some of the best defensive numbers in the league. To put it in perspective, between two defensemen with significant Ice time, TheOdore and McNabb are the best in the NHL in defending goals during five games.
TheOODORE, reaching the top team in minutes, has regained his attacking touch, posting six points in his last seven games. Meanwhile, McNabb has embraced the dirty work, leading the organization in blocked shots while seeing his average ice time jump significantly. Add in Noah Hanifin, who has been closely watched since returning from a lower body injury on November 4, and has a “defense committee” approach against the biggest asset.
A powerful case and a question of depth
In contrast, the Gerden Knights have always been studied differently. The stars shone brightly, rubbing the pitching depth with the issue – until recently – threatened to derail the season.
Mitch Marner has been talking about Cassidy’s show. With four goals and 17 assists, he is currently on his way to a season that would improve assist records. What he does to play has been well organized with Jack Eichel, who lives in the engine of the offense. Eichel’s recent performance against the Utah Mammoth, where he picked up two goals and an assist, was a reminder of his game-breaking ability.
However, beyond the big guns – including breakout scorer Pavel Dorofeyev and solid contributions from Ivan Barbashev and Tomas Hertl – second goals were elusive in the first 15 games. Veterans like Reilly Smith and Brandon Saad fought so hard out of the gate that the Fanbase began to openly question whether age had finally caught up with them. Fortunately, both have shown signs of life in the past few weeks.
Perhaps the excreveline of the most interesting story is rookie winger Braeden Bowman. Out of the spotlight due to Stone’s injury, Bowman is included in Eichel’s lineup and the power play unit. He never looked out of place, conceding four goals in seven games, including the game-winner.
The Crease Conundrum
If the defense is the team’s anchor, goaltending is a leak at Hull. While the team didn’t give up on many goals, the Golden Knights position is near the third of the league in save percentage.
With Hill Sidelined, the net belongs to Akira Schmid. His record is impressive – four wins in 13 games – but the eye test is more beneficial to the structure of the team in front of him. Schmid did enough to win, placing fifth in the league in wins, but the team is still prone to soft goals that slow down the momentum. One has to wonder if this level of godeting will be enough when the System is strengthened.
The Pacific section is upside down
Context is everything, and the Pacific Division Landscape in 2025-26 has changed dramatically. Gone are the days of the predictable three horse race.
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We’re seeing a shocking upset from the Anaheim Ducks, who actually sit ahead of Vegas in the standings. The Seattle Kraken has been a quiet talent, and down in San Jose, the Sharks are enjoying a full-on Renaissance. Led by Rookie Sensation Macklin Shungerini and stabilized by Goaltender Yaroslav Ackarov, San Jose grabbed a playoff spot.
Edmonton’s Eilers, on the other hand, have been quiet, crippled by terrible power and a lack of defensive structure. For Vegas, this means that division is no longer a piece of cake. All points will be competitive.
The decision
So, who are the “authentic” golden knights? Are they a defensive juggernaut capable of swarming the league’s best offenses? Or is it a fragile roster that is reliable in the backup attack and the top attack?
Frustration regarding injuries is valid, but the talent in this program is simply too high to miss the postseason. They are bank points now, which offer the comfort of patience. If the recent spark in depth scoring is true, and if Hill can return to provide solid pitching, Vegas remains a formidable force. For now, they navigate the chaos successfully. In the modern NHL, sometimes “hanging in there” is all you need to do until the Cavalry arrives.
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