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With the Golden Knights’ preseason having come to a close, let’s take a look at five standouts from Vegas’s exhibition play.
At long last, the NHL offseason is over. The preseason is in the rearview mirror, and we have meaningful hockey games on tonight.
But before we can begin to look ahead at the excitement of the new season, let us first take one final look back at the preseason. Here are five standouts from the Vegas Golden Knights’ exhibition contests.
Pavel Dorofeyev
After appearing in just 67 games over the course of his first three NHL seasons, Dorofeyev appears poised for a breakout campaign in 2024-2025. And in Saturday night’s preseason finale against the San Jose Sharks, the 23 year-old Russian winger gave fans a sneak preview of what to expect.
Dorofeyev recorded a hat trick, while also adding an assist to go along with his three goals. Despite the Sharks winning the contest 6-5, Dorofeyev was named the game’s first star.
WHO CARES THAT IT'S PRESEASON
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 6, 2024
PAVEL DOROFEYEV HAS A HAT TRICK
Zach Aston-Reese
Dorofeyev wasn’t the only Golden Knight with a multi-goal game during the preseason. Earlier in the week, Zach Aston-Reese’s two-goal night led the way in Vegas’s 6-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche.
Sadly for Golden Knights fans, however, Aston-Reese will not play for Vegas this season, as he was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. The journeyman forward had been on a two-way contract with the Golden Knights that he signed in July.
Tanner Lacynski
Much like Aston-Reese, Lacysnki agreed to a two-way contract with the Golden Knights in July. The former Ohio State standout has appeared in just 37 career NHL games, and spent all of last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite facing long odds to make Vegas’s roster, however, Lacynski had himself a very strong preseason campaign, recording two goals and three assists.
Lacynski was placed on waivers by the Golden Knights on Sunday. Should he clear the waiver wire, he will head to Vegas’s AHL affiliate in Henderson to begin the 2024-2025 season.
Tanner Pearson
It was indeed the September of Tanner(s). After agreeing to a professional tryout agreement with Vegas over the summer, the journeyman winger Pearson had an impressive preseason. Appearing in five of the team’s six exhibition games, the journeyman winger had two goals and an assist while recording a +3 rating.
As a result of his strong preseason showing, the Golden Knights signed Pearson to a one-year, $775,000 contract on October 4.
Akira Schmid
With Aiden Hill and and Ilya Samsonov locked in as Vegas’s top two goaltenders, Schmid will almost certainly begin the season with AHL Henderson. However, the 24 year-old Swiss netminder certainly did as much as he could to challenge that during his brief preseason action.
In 4.5 periods of exhibition work, Schmid allowed just one goal, stopping 35 shots in the process. While obviously a small sample size, it was certainly an encouraging run for the young goalie. If he keeps playing at a high level, he should find himself back in the NHL soon enough.
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