Opening Knight has arrived, and with it comes the first real question of the Golden Knights’ 2026-27 season: who scores the first goal?
Vegas is kicking off its milestone tenth season, and while the roster still looks a lot like the group that fell in the Stanley Cup Finals a few months ago, there have been enough changes to make the opener feel fresh. A few familiar names are gone, a few new-ish faces are in, and somebody has to be the one to break the ice and net the first VGK goal of Season X - their first since Game 5 of the Finals.
If you’re making me pick one name, I’m starting with Mark Stone.
The captain is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career, finishing with a career-high 28 goals and 73 points even though injuries kept him out for 22 games. He’s set to open the year on a line with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, a trio that’s already shown real chemistry since Barbashev arrived just before Vegas’ 2023 Stanley Cup win. Stone also put up 12 points in the playoff run, even with more missed time.
And now he’s locked in for a little longer, too. A few weeks ago, Stone signed a new two-year extension that will keep him in Vegas after his current deal expires. For a franchise entering year 10, there’s a certain symmetry to the first captain in team history setting the tone with the first goal.
There’s also a different kind of opening-night story sitting on the blue line with Rasmus Andersson.
I’ve never exactly been an Andersson believer, and I’m not hiding that. The trade cost was steep, his regular season and playoff impact didn’t do much to change my mind, and the seven-year extension felt richer than he had earned here.
But this is a new season, with a new coach, and it’s also his first full year with the club. After a full training camp and preseason, there’s at least a path to him becoming the player Vegas thought it was getting.
He’s been used on the second power-play unit in preseason, so the opportunity is there. A power-play goal from Andersson to open the season would be a pretty clean way to start a redemption tour.
Then there’s the long-shot swing: Marc Gatcomb.
That one’s a little silly, sure, but that’s part of the fun. The 27-year-old forward joined Vegas on a two-year deal on the first day of free agency and is expected to work in a bottom-line grinder role with Nic Dowd and Braeden Bowman. He has 11 career goals and 16 points in 88 games with the Islanders, and he was brought in to help fill the hole left by Keegan Kolesar’s trade to the Detroit Red Wings this offseason, and at a fraction of the cost.
Which is exactly why he’d make for such a satisfying first scorer. Gatcomb fits the mold of the sort of under-the-radar player Vegas has often tried to turn into something more. He’s the kind of misfit who needs a chance, and if he somehow gets the first goal of the season, it would say something about the depth of this team after a year that didn’t feature much lower-line scoring.
In Other News...
Trevor Connelly Just Gave Vegas Fans A Reason To Dream
Trevor Connelly did not waste much time making an impression on the big stage. In his NHL debut for the Vegas Golden Knights on opening night of the 2026-27 season, the young forward scored a goal and instantly put himself in a sliver of franchise history, becoming only the second player in team history to do it. It was the kind of entrance that can change the way a prospect is viewed, especially for a player who spent the previous season building his case with a strong run for the Henderson Silver Knights.
Connelly earned his spot on the Golden Knights opening night roster after attending training camp for the first time, and the leap from the AHL to the NHL felt like a rapid one. Still, the organization clearly believes the talent is real, with the teams general manager and head coach both praising his skill and maturity. For Vegas, the early return is exactly the sort of development that makes a new season feel a little bigger than the one before it. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Gave Fans Plenty To Celebrate In Ryan Craigs Debut
Ryan Craigs first night behind the Golden Knights bench had the kind of rhythm any new coach would take in a heartbeat. Vegas opened its home schedule with a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, got a power-play goal from Victor Olofsson, and watched Jack Eichel add another notable line to his resume by reaching 700 career points. For a team looking to settle into the season quickly, it was the sort of start that checked a lot of boxes in one shot.
The evening also carried a bit of extra meaning in the room, with Eichel making a point to praise Connelly after his first NHL game milestone. Those are the kinds of moments that tend to linger beyond the final horn, especially on a night when the building got to celebrate a win, a milestone, and a new coachs first victory all at once. For Vegas, it was a tidy opening chapter with plenty of good feelings attached. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Just Sent A Clear Message About William Karlsson
William Karlsson is sticking around in Vegas, and the move says plenty about how the Golden Knights still view one of their foundational players. The veteran center, an original expansion draft pick, has been a steady part of the team since its inaugural 2017-18 season, filling important roles on both sides of the puck while helping define the identity of the franchise.
The two-year extension keeps Karlsson in a place where he already sits second in franchise history in goals and points, a reminder of how much he has meant to the organization over the long haul. For a team that has never been shy about making bold roster decisions, this one reads as a clear commitment to continuity, experience and a player whose value has gone well beyond the box score. [Read more 🡒]