Krepps: My Golden Knights Lines For the Stanley Cup Playoffs

I'm not Bruce Cassidy and have absolutely no say in the Vegas Golden Knight's lineup decisions, which is certainly for the best.

However, I believe I have put together a strong contender for what the Golden Knight's line combinations should be come playoff time.

My thought process behind these combinations is that I am using lines and pairings that have proven to be successful at certain points during this season rather than trying to mix and match to create something new. Injuries have caused a regular lineup rotation to get thrown out the window, but there were certain pockets of this season where it was clear that a line was working. Those are the lines and pairings I tried to keep together as much as possible.

On injured players: The hardest thing to predict with any NHL team is injuries. Currently, Mark Stone, Will Carrier, Shea Theodore, Adin Hill, and Logan Thompson are injured. All of which I will be including in the projected lineup for now, except for Stone, as his injury is more severe than the others.

Let's just jump straight into things, as my explanation of my thought process will come when needed. One more thing, though, I am not going to be going over goaltending. That's a topic for a different day and a very convoluted mess with four NHL goaltenders in the mix.

First Line

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

The Golden Knight's current first line has proven to be strong, and I'm sticking with it. Ivan Barbashev has been a nice complimentary add to Jack Eichel's line, as he can get to the net and score goals. Jonathan Marchessault is a proven scorer in the league and should continue to score alongside Eichel.

Second Line

Michael Amadio- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel/Mark Stone

You might not remember, but there was a point in the season when the line of Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone, and Michael Amadio was the hottest on the team. It's no secret that Stone and Stephenson have tons of chemistry together, but Stone's health has me put Phil Kessel there for the time being, which I'm not sold on. Once Stone comes back, either Amadio could remain on the line, or Kessel (or even Stone) could switch over to the left-wing side.

Third Line

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Pavel Dorofeyev

Pavel Dorofeyev has earned the right to stay in the NHL, as all he does is score goals. Having him on what was once the Misfit Line allows the VGK to have two 200-foot players next to the rookie. Karlsson is a great assist man, and putting him in between two scorers is a good idea in our eyes.

Fourth Line

Will Carrier- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar

This line, when healthy, was arguably the biggest reason for the Golden Knight's early success. Even as he currently sits hurt, Will Carrier is having a carer year and having him on the line that was so consistent in the early portions of the season before injuries arose will likely be a good thing.

First Pairing

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

I don't have much to say about the defensive pairings. We know that the group of Alec Martinez, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore, Zach Whitecloud, and Nicolas Hague form one of the best D-corps in the league. The pairings, when healthy, have proven to be borderline perfect.

Second Pairing

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

This is perhaps the most stable pairing with these two playing with each other since year one. Obviously, Shea Theodore is currently hurt, but I don't think there is any argument about where he will be placed once he makes his return.

Third Pairing

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

If any sort of change is needed, there is always the option of playing Nicolas Hague with Alex Pietrangelo and then pairing up Zach Whitecloud and Alec Martinez. Again, if this unit of six can stay healthy, there is almost certainty that these will be the pairings.

Scratched

Brett Howden, Paul Cotter, Teddy Blueger, and Ben Hutton are our scratches. None of them, in our eyes, are consistent enough to remain in the lineup but if they were to be inserted, the forwards could swap with Michael Amadio, especially Cotter and Howden.

Obviously, this is equivalent to an armchair GM post with tons of things, like injuries, being overlooked. The VGK are currently without Mark Stone, Adin Hill, Will Carrier, Logan Thompson, and Shea Theodore, and none of us know when any of them will be returning.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments or on Twitter @OKrepps85.

VHN's Golden Knights Playoff Lines

Ivan Barbashev- Jack Eichel- Jonathan Marchessault

Michael Amadio- Chandler Stephenson- Phil Kessel/Mark Stone

Reilly Smith- William Karlsson- Pavel Dorofeyev

Will Carrier- Nicolas Roy- Keegan Kolesar

Alec Martinez- Alex Pietrangelo

Brayden McNabb- Shea Theodore

Nicolas Hague- Zach Whitecloud

Laurent Brossoit/Logan Thompson

Brett Howden, Paul Cotter, Teddy Blueger, Ben Hutton, Adin Hill, Jonathan Quick

Daniil Miromanov, Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, Jonas Rondbjerg