Locked On Golden Knights - Daily Podcast On the Vegas Golden Knights

The Golden Knights host the Utah Mammoth as the regular season draws near.  VGK will play most of its veterans and what could be the opening day lineup tonight. Adin Hill is expected in net, but we should see all four lines and defensemen we will see on opening night.  This could become a spicy affair! We could see spillover from the playoff series, which got heated at times.  We have the latest cuts as VGK has to still cut five players in advance of Tuesday's opener against the Blackhawks.  A handful of players still need to step up.  And...

Braeden Bowman ignited VGK first by replacing Jonas Rondbjerg in the third period on a skating line with Tanner Laczynski and Alex Holtz, which led to Holtz goal.  Then he potted the game-winner in the shootout as VGK went on to win in San Jose 2-1.  We also discuss who might be VGK's 13th forward.  And we analyze Juho Piiparinen's first NHL preseason game and what is next for the budding superstar.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at...

VGK has revamped its power play units under Ryan Craig.  On the top unit we will see Shea Theodore up top with Mitch Marner now on the right wing taking Pavel Dorofeyev's place.  Craig said Theodore has played that position before and can distribute the puck to Marner going downhill or Eichel for a shot from the left side.  Craig also said it could be interchangable.  We could see Marner and Theodore switch on faceoffs, etc.  Eichel, Stone and Hertl remain on the top unit.  We also talk about the first VGK cuts as 12 players headed to Henderson.  And, we prev...

Prospect Jackson Hallum's speed was on display late in Saturday's win vs the Kings.  He scored twice to lead VGK to a 4-2 win in the preseason game.  Tanner Laczynski, who has been a teammate of Hallum's aptly called him "Five-Hole Killer." If Hallum continues to shine, he could be a potential NHL call-up this season.  VGK defenseman Villiam Kmec scored a goal for VGK and also assisted on one of Hallum's goals. Marc Gatcomb played a physical game, including two bone-jarring hits and a near fight.  Gatcomb is slated to play on the bottom six.  We assess Adin Hill...

VGK rookie Trevor Connolly opened camp as a third line winger with Tomas Hertl and Victor Olafsson fueling speculation he could make the opening day roster. Perhaps Connolly can also be a starter on opening day.   Another young player, Braeden Bowman, skated on the fourth line as Kelly McCrimmon spoke of promise after Bowman signed his six-year contract extension. We also saw Ryan Craig split up third and fourth defensive pairs - Hanifin with Lauzon, Wotherspoon and Andersson.  VGK opens the shortened preseason slate Saturday against the Kings in Ontario, Calif.  Prospects will play the first two games and vet...

VGK will hit the ice Thursday for three sessions.  There is a mix of veterans, prospects and depth options to choose from.  36 forwards, 23 defensemen and seven goalies are on the ice today.  There are some younger PTO players in the mix, but no Reilly Smith as part of a PTO group.  The Golden Knights are calling this a camp of opportunity for the younger players.  Connor Hellebuyck did not report to Winnipeg's camp Wednesday, so the team suspended him.  The star goaltender has requested a trade, but the offers from other teams have not been great.  And, VGK fan favorit...

The 13-day preseason condensed camp opens today and new head coach Ryan Craig and the VGK front office will be looking for several answers.  Craig said this week that he plans to play both goalies this season, plans to put a puck-mover on each D pairing, wants the defense more involved in the offense and wants Jack Eichel to shoot the puck more, especially on the power play. G-M Kelly McCrimmon says there is a sense of urgency in this camp.  We look at position battles going into camp and there were a number of late signings around the le...

Who are some of the under-the-radar players that could make an impression in VGK's camp?  Who could become the next Braeden Bowman?  We have a list of prospects.  Juho Piiparinen was recalled from Liiga and the defenseman will now be attending VGK camp Wednesday. And, what was VGK's revenue this past season?  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, P...

We debate the Mark Stone extension.  Was it a loyalty deal?  Did VGK overpay Stone, who is injury-prone at $9m AAV,  We also discuss whether VGK should have extended Pavel Dorofeyev rather than gamble on Stone on a two-year deal.  Is it a smart bet or did VGK overpay its Captain.  VGK's top prospect Trevor Connolly was injured again this weekend.  He was boarded in a retaliation hit and missed Sunday's game vs the Avs.  And, VGK's camp opens Wednesday and there is preseason hockey on the road against the Kings on Saturday.FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states...

Braeden Bowman inked a six-year contract extension Thursday worth $3.4-million AAV. We were surprised it was that long of a term in the deal. Bowman will be 29-years old by the end of the contract and could miss out on a much larger contract. Other young depth players are also signing larger contracts.  Kelly McCrimmon said Bowman will be an everyday player following VGK's playoff run. He had 26 points in 54 games.  Bowman started fast but hit the rookie wall. VGK's Rookie Camp is this weekend.  One day of camp then games Friday and Saturday vs the Mammoth and Avalanche.  This...

The Golden Knights don't have the depth currently to compete with the top-tier teams, especially teams like Dallas and Colorado in the Western Conference.  The road to a Cup title might have to go through the Stars or Avalanche this season and VGK, at least on paper, falls short in the depth category. Of course, things could change for VGK.  But we have a sense that depth scoring could be an issue for the Golden Knights.  And what about depth pieces behind key players?  How would VGK replace Jack Eichel or Mitch Marner, if they aren't able to go?  We ta...

Among the new rules under the Collective Bargaining agreement that goes into effect starting Sept 16: no more fitness tests, new contract rules (7 year max contracts, 6 years for UFAs), mandatory EBUGs and the beginning of a new 84 game season. Fitness testing was a fixture in camps for decades.  The NHL and NHLPA felt players typically come into camp in elite shape. The minimum salary rises to $850k this season as well.   The NHL salary cap figures show tremendous growth for the league and could be over $113.5 million within the next two seasons - this means bigger contracts for players. And VG...

We question whether VGK will get out to its signature fast start this season following a shortened pre-season with a new head coach and some new players in the lineup. Plus we have to worry about the team's chemistry early on.  A lot of the work by veterans especially, has to be done individually.  Players have to report in hockey shape and need to buy-in to a new system. And, under the new CBA, most vets (at least 100 games played) aren't forced to play in preseason. Veterans can only dress for two of the four preseason games.  We also tal...

Who will fill roster gaps before camp begins?  VGK could pick from a variety of still unsigned UFA's if they can clear cap space.  Former Golden Knights Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad and Ben Hutton are still unsigned.  Reilly Smith could be a good choice based on his familiarity with the organization.  Some of the other names around the league that are still available are: Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrik Laine and Connor Ingram.  VGK could invite at least one of the players mentioned to camp on a PTO. We salute the hardest working VGK players on Labor Day.  And, former Golden Knight...

First-year head coach Ryan Craig says there won't be a significant overhaul of the VGK system, but rather he will make some "tweaks" to what the club is doing now.  We went back to what Craig was doing in Henderson and as a player - and the keys to success were a relentless forecheck and netfront presence.  We discuss other tweaks we will see this season.  We put tangible goals for VGK's goaltenders to reach this season.  And, it's the 4th Anniversary of WTF - What The Friday. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager...

We have our X Factors for the upcoming season:  Tony Cordasco pointed directly to Brett Howden after he scored 18 points and five goals in the playoffs.  He talked about the chemistry between Howden and Mitch Marner specifically that sparked Howden's playoff heroics - Marner assisted on four of Howden's playoff goals. Chris Gawlik's X Factor is VGK's health overall.  They both also discussed Braeden Bowman and the VGK third line as X Factors.  We discussed who might struggle under first year head coach Ryan Craig. And, Prime Video now holds the rights to broadcasts in six markets.  Will VGK move...

Trevor Connolly is positioned as a focal point in VGK's Rookie Camp.  If he pops, he could make the Golden Knights roster to start the season.  He also has a leg up with his AHL Coach, Ryan Craig, now piloting the NHL Golden Knights.  He knows everything about Connolly and what his skill set it.  There are a number of other players to watch among the 23 man roster, but Connolly will have a lot of eyes and pressure on him. The Age of Player Empowerment is upon us and we discuss whether this will be an ongoing trend.  And, we ta...

AFP Analytics gave us new projections for Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner's value in the exploding salary market.  Eichel's contract would be valued around $17.7-million AAV.  Marner $15.3-million.  Eichel's salary projection would jump $4.2-million from a deal he signed just a year ago.  Marner's value has increased by $3.3-million.  It would have cost VGK millions more if they had to lock down these two players right now.  Eichel was ranked sixth in the latest NHL Network rankings for centers. He has had back-to-back 90 point seasons.  We could see another step forward for Eichel this season.  And, we talk about VGK's ti...

VGK is mentioned, as usual, in the tradewinds for goalie Connor Hellebuyck.  The Golden Knights don't have the cap space to pay for the three-time Vezina trophy winner and USA Gold Medalist.  But they might be able to meet the demands of a top-six player, perhaps Tomas Hertl, a goalie (Adin Hill) and picks or a prospect.  The usual suspects are in the conversation.  That's when GM Kelly McCrimmon typically gets involved.  Moreso if a team like San Jose, or other divisional teams are in the mix.  We talk about Cale Makar's new contract, as he will now make $20.4 millio...

A recent fan poll by the Athletic has confidence in VGK's front office dropping.  VGK has fallen from 6th last year to number 11 in the latest poll.  Fans cited a lack of movement during the offseason to add more pieces, trading away popular players like Pavel Dorofeyev and Keegan Kolesar, and not doing enough with player development.  NHL expansion to Texas is here!  Which city gets the franchise and will the playoffs also be expanded?  And, it's Fantasy Draft season.  We look at where Golden Knights players are ranked.  FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money w...