Lawless: Storylines for VGK Training Camp

For an NHL head coach, the beginning of training camp is like moving into a new house. Bruce Cassidy has a very nice house and a driveway full of expensive furniture. Quite a few pieces from the old residence and some new ones to add to the mix. The next few weeks will determine where the head coach of the Vegas Golden Knights would like to place those furnishings.

An Eichel here, a Stone there, a Pietrangelo over there. A Holtz and an Olofsson, too.

Previous Golden Knights training camps have left very little room for Cassidy to do much shuffling but that’s not the case this season. Bruce is going to have the opportunity to manifest his interior decorating skills.

This upcoming preseason will be steeped in competition with opportunity abound.

The Golden Knights have arguably the best defense corps in the NHL and are as deep down the middle of the ice as any team in the world.

It can be argued the Golden Knights are better at center, on the blueline and in net this season.

What this club looks like on the wings is the biggest question mark heading into its eighth training camp.

Here are some key areas to watch for at VGK training camp:

Running mates for Jack: Jack Eichel is one of the best two-way centers in the game. A point-a-game style center with the ability to shut down the most dangerous players in the game. The last two seasons Eichel has mostly been flanked by Ivan Barbashev and the departed Jonathan Marchessault. Newcomers Victor Olofsson and Alexander Holtz will both be vying for a look on Eichel’s right side and who is to say Cassidy won’t want to put Mark Stone up in that slot. Lots of possibilities are available for the head coach.

Olofsson produced on Eichel’s wing in Buffalo, Holtz has an elite shot and Stone is one of the best right wings in the game.

Hertl no longer hurting: Tomas Hertl arrived in Vegas last spring in the midst of rehabbing a surgically repaired knee and sped up his return to the ice. Over six regular season games he scored two goals and two assists. In seven postseason games he contributed one goal.

Hertl, when healthy, has been a consistent producer throughout his career with 220 goals and 488 points over 718 games. Hertl had a full summer to train and is on the record as saying he’s feeling much more like himself. What can a healthy Hertl do for Vegas?

Persistent Pav: Pavel Dorofeyev has been a study in persistence and steady development and the table is now set for him to set forward and become a prime time player in Vegas. Dorofeyev had 13 goals and 24 points in 47 NHL games last season. The 23-year-old also had nine goals and 17 points in 32 AHL games. Former VGK center Chandler Stephenson said last season that Dorofeyev had the best shot among his teammates.

The Russian winger goes to the hard areas, has a heavy shot and a quick release. He can score from in tight. A breakout season from Dorofeyev could go a long way to easing any Vegas issues on the wing.

Top eight excellence: Once again the Golden Knights boast one of the deepest D corps in the NHL. Noah Hanifin, Alex Pietrangelo, Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore are all fixtures with the Golden Knights. Size, mobility, hockey sense and experience make this group formidable.

Some teams have a handful NHL defensemen but Vegas has eight. Nic Hague, Zach Whitecloud, Ben Hutton and Kaedan Korczak are all NHL players capable of playing big minutes in a variety of roles. This is one of the biggest strengths for Vegas and with a full season of Hanifin and the emergence of Korczak they are actually better and deeper than ever before.

High notes for Holtz: Alexander Holtz can shoot the puck. The Golden Knights have a number of centers looking for wingers who can add scoring punch to their lines. This could be a match made in heaven. Holtz had 16 goals last season in a limited role with the New Jersey Devils playing just under 12 minutes per game and logging 1:15 a night on the power play. Given the opportunity to play with an elite center such as Eichel, Hertl or Karlsson as well as a heavier dose of power-play ice should spell big things for Holtz.

King Karly: William Karlsson is one of the best defensive centers in the NHL. Factor in his 30 goals last season and he’s a two-way center who controls games with both sides of his skill set. Karlsson will be critical anchoring the middle six of the Vegas lineup. He could have any number of different wingers from Stone to Dorofeyev to Holtz. Underrated outside of Vegas, Karlsson remains an important and impactful piece on his team.

Time for Tanner: Tanner Pearson has experience, hockey sense and is known as a great teammate. Injuries have waylaid his career the last few seasons but if he can return to form he could be an important player down in the VGK lineup.

Pearson has a Stanley Cup and two 20-goal seasons on his resume. He played for Golden Knights assistant coach John Stevens in Los Angeles. Pearson is a versatile player who helps teams win. He’s a glue guy. If he can regain pace he’ll have a chance to turn his pro tryout into a contract.