The Golden Knights are down to their final preseason test, and that means the roster squeeze is about to get real.
Vegas closes out the preseason against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday before turning the page to Opening Knight against the Chicago Blackhawks. That leaves one more chance for players on the bubble - and for a few established names under the microscope - to leave a mark before the cuts start coming and the roster gets pared down to 23 players for the 2026-27 season.
Three players stand out as carrying the heaviest load of pressure heading into that final exhibition game.
Adin Hill is first on that list. The goaltender’s latest outing was a rough one, as he gave up four goals against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday and stopped just 17 of 21 shots.
For Golden Knights fans, it was the kind of performance that brought back the familiar doubts. Whether it’s lingering injuries or the weight of a six-year contract worth $6.25 million AAV, Hill has plenty riding on how he responds once the games count.
Alexander Holtz is another player with a lot to prove. He has flashed in the preseason, including a goal against the Sharks on Saturday in a 2-1 shootout win, and he added four shots in that game.
It was only his one start for Vegas, but it gave a glimpse of what he can bring under new leadership in Ryan Craig. The question now is whether that showing was enough to buy him more runway, or whether he’s close to running out of chances.
If he gets another look, he has to make it count.
Then there’s Rasmus Andersson, who signed a seven-year extension with the Golden Knights over the summer and is expected to be better than he was in 2025-26. That isn’t exactly a high hurdle, since he finished last season’s Stanley Cup Final run with six assists.
Andersson now heads into his second year in Vegas with the hope that, free from visa issues and other complications, he can deliver more. If not, the pressure around him could start to look a lot like Hill’s situation, just without the injury questions.
In Other News...
Adin Hill Just Made One Golden Knights Concern Much Harder To Ignore
The Golden Knights opened their first home preseason game with a 5-4 overtime comeback against the Utah Mammoth, a result that at least let them leave the night with some momentum. But the more revealing part of the evening may have been in net, where Adin Hills performance fell well short of what Vegas needs from someone expected to be in the mix behind Carter Hart.
Hill already has a contract extension in hand, and the organization is counting on him to compete for playing time after Hart led the club to the Stanley Cup Final last season. If Vegas is going to feel comfortable with its goaltending depth, though, nights like this only make the question harder to brush aside, because the concern is no longer just about form in one exhibition game but about how dependable Hill can be when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Suddenly Have A Trade Target Fans Will Watch Closely
Elliotte Friedmans latest 32 Thoughts podcast put Kirill Marchenko squarely on the radar for a few teams, and the Golden Knights are among the clubs reportedly linked to the Columbus Blue Jackets winger. The timing makes sense from Vegas perspective, too, with Marchenko in the final year of his contract and carrying the kind of offensive profile that tends to draw attention when teams start looking for help.
The competition could make things interesting, since Boston, Montreal, the Islanders, Seattle and Winnipeg were also mentioned as interested parties. For the Golden Knights, the appeal is obvious: Marchenko is a 26-year-old winger who could fit into a contending roster, but whether Vegas can separate itself from the rest of the market is the part worth watching next. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Connelly Is Giving The Golden Knights A Real Lineup Decision
Trevor Connelly is suddenly making the Golden Knights think a little harder about how they want to shape their opening-night group. Daily Faceoff projects the former first-round pick into the lineup, and the idea of him skating with Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson says plenty about how seriously his game is being viewed after a strong recent practice showing. For a young forward whose scoring track record in amateur and minor leagues has already drawn attention, this is the kind of camp momentum that can turn projection into opportunity.
Vegas has long valued lineup flexibility, and Connellys emergence adds another layer to that equation. If he stays in the conversation, the appeal goes beyond just finding a spot for a talented prospect. It could also mean placing him in a position where veteran mentorship helps accelerate his development, while giving the Golden Knights another option in a forward group that is still taking shape. The question now is less about whether Connelly has talent and more about how quickly the staff is willing to trust it. [Read more 🡒]