5 Bold Golden Knights Predictions For 2023

Before the Vegas Golden Knights take on the Colorado Avalanche for their first game of 2023, here are some bold VGK predictions we have for the year.

1) Golden Knights Make Playoffs, Lose in Round 1

The Golden Knights are in an eerily similar situation that they were in last year. Like last year they sit atop the Pacific Division coming out of the holiday break, but have injuries piling up and are not the same dominant team they were in the early potions of the season. 

The difference between last year's team and this year's team is which players are getting hurt. Last season saw the Golden Knights go multiple stretches without key players Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, Robin Lehner, and Reilly Smith. 

This season Stone, Smith, Alex Pietrangelo, and Chandler Stephenson have remained healthy and willed the VGK into games when their depth was not performing. Yes, Jack Eichel is out, but he should return soon and will greatly benefit the Golden Knights overall.

I'm still sticking with my beginning season prediction and stating that the VGK will hold on to make the playoffs, but they will be out in round one.

2) Depth Scoring Continues to Struggle & A Trade is Made

Arguably the biggest issue that the Golden Knights have (that they can control) is depth scoring. Injuries have created several "Henderson Silver Knights" lines on the Golden Knights roster. Jake Leschyshyn, Jonas Rondbjerg, Sheldon Rempal, Pavel Dorofeyev, and others have all been thrown into the mix, and combined, have zero points. Phil Kessel has not been cutting it either; just ask head coach Bruce Cassidy.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon's biggest need at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline will be a scoring forward. There are no shortages of names on the market, with Bo Horvat, James van Riemsdyk, Max Domi, and Vladamir Tarasenko potentially being available.

It's still too early to speculate on which exact name the VGK could be after, but given their depth scoring woes, they will almost certainly add at the deadline.

3) Phil Kessel is Scratched/Traded

The Phil Kessel signing has given the Golden Knights some memorable milestone games, a great locker room presence, and a potential Hockey Hall of Famer on their team. But it has also given the team an underperforming, defensively weak player who is at the end of his career. There is a reason why Kessel was not signed immediately in free agency, and the Golden Knights are seeing that now.

The Ironman streak makes things hard, as you don't want to start a PR nightmare similar to how the Philadelphia Flyers did with Keith Yandle. But at the same time, Kessel has simply not been good enough. He is only in the lineup right now because of the laundry list of VGK injuries and the overall lack of forward depth the team has. Once the VGK get healthy and potentially trade for another forward, Kessel will either be traded or scratched.

4) Laurent Brossoit Wins His Job Back

With Laurent Brossoit fully recovered from his offseason hip surgery, the Golden Knights now have three capable NHL goaltenders. Logan Thompson, who could end up being a finalist for the Calder Trophy, is not going anywhere. So for Brossoit, who is currently with the Henderson Silver Knights, to come back to the NHL, Adin Hill would be the player whose job he would have to take.

Hill has struggled in his last three games with a less than .900 save percentage and was pulled in his last start after allowing two goals on five shots. Before any moves are made regarding trades or waivers, it is likely that Brossoit will get a shot in the NHL with the VGK soon. Brossoit, who was named the AHL's player of the week in mid-December, is the most experienced NHL goalie the VGK currently has, with over 100 games of experience.

With Hill's recent struggles, I see Brossoit coming back up and the VGK going with Thompson and Brossoit moving forward. This could mean either a trip to Henderson, to waivers, or to another city for Hill.

5) Daniil Miromanov Gets a Permanent Roster Spot

Daniil Miromanov is, unfortunately, the newest addition to the Golden Knight's injury list, but the 25-year-old defenseman has been great this season. In 14 games, he has six points, and his offensive play has driven home the point that the VGK are good at developing puck-moving D-men.

Zach Whitecloud looks to be out for a significant amount of time, which creates a hole on D. I expect Miromanov to fill this hole after his current lower-body injury that he sustained blocking a shot, and never look back, becoming an NHL regular by the end of the season.