The Vegas Golden Knights have already done plenty of the heavy lifting for 2026-27, but the roster picture is still being filled in around the edges. The big names are mostly accounted for.
Rasmus Andersson, Jeremy Lauzon and Dylan Coghlan are back to keep the defense group close to what it was during last season’s Stanley Cup Finals run. Parker Wotherspoon has arrived, Tanner Laczynski and Jonas Rondbjerg got extensions, and Victor Olofsson is back in the mix.
There is still room for at least one more meaningful addition if Vegas wants to push toward the top again.
What often matters just as much, though, are the quieter moves. The Golden Knights also brought in a batch of depth players who could affect the organization in different ways, whether that means NHL spot duty, AHL minutes in Henderson, or a longer-term chance to climb into the picture.
Some are already familiar at the league level. Others still have upside to unlock.
And a few are the kind of players who may not grab attention right away, but can force the issue before long.
Marc Gatcomb looks like the safest bet to matter right away.
The 26-year-old hit unrestricted free agency after the New York Islanders did not give him a qualifying offer on Monday’s deadline, and he arrives in Vegas with a clear path to a role. He is not going to be mistaken for a scoring threat, but his 192 hits in 49 games with the Islanders last season jump off the page. With Cole Smith and Keegan Kolesar gone on July 1, the Golden Knights had a need for fourth-line wingers, and Gatcomb fits that job description cleanly.
Raphael Lavoie is coming in with a different kind of appeal.
The Group 6 unrestricted free agent chose not to look around and instead stay in the fight for a bottom-six opening with a team that suddenly has room for competition. He still has not recorded his first NHL point, but he did produce at a point-per-game pace in Henderson, which is enough to keep the door open.
Ryan Craig’s move up to Vegas should help, too, because he knows what Lavoie can bring and where he belongs in the lineup. The 2019 second-round pick should keep getting chances at the NHL level, and if the breakthrough finally comes, it will not go unnoticed.
Jakub Demek’s situation is more about recovery and projection.
Injuries wiped out nearly all of last season, leaving him with just four games played. Even so, the 2023 fourth-round pick had already shown enough in his first two pro seasons to earn a qualifying offer.
Now he lands as a project for Joel Ward, who will likely try to use Demek’s six-foot-four frame in a more forceful way. If that size starts to show up with consistent physical play, his path toward an NHL roster gets a lot more realistic.
Joe Fleming brings a different kind of value entirely.
The former defenseman has made his living in Henderson by making life miserable for the other team. He racked up 158 penalty minutes while settling into the AHL level, and while an NHL appearance seems unlikely, his presence has mattered for younger players.
Trevor Connelly has spoken about how useful Fleming has been in helping newcomers adjust to professional hockey. That kind of influence likely helped him secure another year in the organization, even if Henderson remains the likely destination.
On the blue line, Adam Ginning fits the familiar Golden Knights template.
At six-foot-three, he checks the size box Vegas usually likes in its defensemen. He spent four seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers, spending most of that time with Lehigh Valley, but he also earned NHL looks in each of those years and even scored a goal in 16 games with Philadelphia. The setup in Vegas figures to be similar, though the depth chart may make call-ups a little harder to navigate.
Ville Heinola is probably the most intriguing name in the group.
The 2019 first-round pick has already done something notable as the first player born in the 21st century to record both an NHL point and an NHL goal. Drafted 20th overall by the Winnipeg Jets, he showed smooth skating and real offensive touch from the blue line, even if the Jets leaned on other defensemen and left his development in a tricky spot.
Vegas signed him to a one-way deal, which says plenty about the opportunity in front of him. If he earns NHL minutes, it would not be a shock.
Antti Tuomisto rounds out the list as another defenseman with some offensive promise.
The former University of Denver national champion put up numbers that suggested there was more to his game than the usual stay-at-home profile. Still, he was passed over by other players in the Detroit Red Wings’ pipeline.
With Lukas Cormier potentially in Vegas next season, Henderson does not currently have a true offensive force on the back end, and Tuomisto could step into that opening. If he does that well enough at the AHL level, he could start drawing attention if the NHL needs him.
In Other News...
Golden Knights Reunion Could Finally Answer Their Wing Scoring Problem
The Golden Knights have been searching for more help on the wing, and a familiar face may be part of the answer. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Vegas is expected to sign a winger who already spent time with the club and could help deepen a forward group that has been looking for another scorer on the outside.
Last season, he bounced between Colorado and Calgary and finished with 13 goals and 18 assists, a reminder that he can still chip in offensively. What makes the fit intriguing for Vegas is the mix of touch and shooting threat he has shown before, especially on the power play, and the reunion would give the Golden Knights another option without forcing them to wait long for reinforcements. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Just Made Two Depth Moves Fans Cant Ignore
The Golden Knights kept busy on the depth front, adding another layer to a roster that has already seen a flurry of movement with recent trades and Rasmus Anderssons extension. This time, the focus was on the forward group, where Vegas turned to two familiar names who can help stabilize the system and keep the organization stocked with experienced options.
Tanner Laczynski comes in on a three-year one-way contract, while Jonas Rondbjerg is back on a one-year two-way deal. Both are positioned to bolster the Silver Knights and provide the kind of call-up insurance every contender leans on during the season, especially when injuries start to test the edges of the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Could Be Eyeing A Major Free Agency Shakeup
Mike Rupp spent part of a recent NHL Network discussion sketching out what the next Vegas offseason could look like, and it centered less on tinkering and more on a possible shakeup. The Golden Knights have a long history of staying active in trade conversations, and with the blue line still feeling the absence of Alex Pietrangelo, the teams roster questions are landing at a familiar time for a franchise that rarely sits still.
Rupps point was that the conversation around Vegas may not be limited to one area, even if the defensive side looks like the most obvious place to attack. A stronger back end would fit the way the Golden Knights have tried to build, but the challenge is finding the right move in a market where their name always seems to come up. For now, the bigger takeaway is that Vegas is once again being framed as a team that could be aggressive rather than cautious. [Read more 🡒]