Finding a balance: Golden Knights trying new approach to blue line

The Vegas Golden Knights have poured significant resources into their blue line, making the six defensemen pivotal for any hope of returning to the Stanley Cup Final this season. Head coach Ryan Craig is focused on extracting maximum value from each pairing. His first step is a balanced approach that asks a player who has regularly logged top‑four minutes to shift to the third unit. That adjustment could trim ice time for a defenseman accustomed to 20‑plus minutes nightly into the 17‑ to 18‑minute range. “We’re going to need each six defensemen,” Craig said. Craig’s vision pairs a puck‑moving defenseman on the right with a stay‑at‑home presence on the left, aiming to break the puck out and transition quickly. The top pairing remains intact. Brayden McNabb and Shea Theodore will skate together for another season unless otherwise directed. The duo, known as the Original Misfits, have been the constants on the back end for the past nine years. The other two pairings could see more action and occasional missteps compared with previous seasons. After sharing ice in Calgary and for much of last season, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson will begin the year separated. Andersson has skated with newcomer Parker Wotherspoon, while Hanifin is now working on his off‑side—the right—with Jeremy Lauzon providing support. The Knights acquired Wotherspoon from Pittsburgh in June in exchange for Kaedan Korczak. Andersson, Las Vegas’ prized off‑season acquisition, is embarking on his first full campaign with the club after signing a seven‑year, $59.5 million contract on July 1. This is not Andersson’s first time skating alongside a Wotherspoon; he played with his brother Tyler when both were in the American Hockey League. If Wotherspoon can deliver the kind of support he gave Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh—where he posted a career‑high 30 points in 80 games and served as a reliable presence for the three‑time Norris Trophy winner—Andersson could reap the benefits in a pivotal year for his development. “He’s unreal out there,” Wotherspoon said. “It’s just kind of the same thing as last year. Just get him the puck, and I know he’s going to do good things with it.” Hanifin faces the biggest adjustment by moving to a side he has rarely used during his 829‑game NHL career. The hope is that the shift will allow him to rediscover a 40‑point pace while leveraging his speed and breakout ability. He has turned to Theodore for guidance in that area. “I think in the o‑zone, sometimes the pucks from low to high are on your backhand a little bit more, whereas on the left side, you get it on your forehand,” Hanifin said. “For me, just trying to get used to that left side a little bit, and there’s some different aspects of the game that I’m still trying to figure out.” Lauzon carries added defensive responsibility after agreeing to a six‑year extension worth $4 million per season. He served as a safety net for Korczak as the youngster adjusted to a full‑time NHL role last year and now has the task of helping Hanifin regain the form that made him an elite puck mover. Craig believes placing a skating‑oriented defenseman on his own pair creates a constant threat regardless of who is on the ice. “I think the game has gone from a four‑man attack, a five‑man attack, in all 3 zones,, whether that’s us exiting their zone and getting up the ice, or playing under transition done the neutral zone,” Craig said. “I think by putting 1 of those skating guys on their own pair, it gives us a threat regardless of who’s on the ice.” The most notable change on the blue line compared with last year is the clear identification of the team’s top defenseman. Shea Theodore stepped into the role the Knights needed after Alex Pietrangelo’s departure, becoming the player who filled the void left by the unquestioned locker‑room leader and calming presence. Pietrangelo logged every assignment asked of him at a Hall of Fame level. Replacing Pietrangelo was a topic of discussion throughout last season, as the Knights lacked a definitive No. 1 capable of shouldering the load the way Pietrangelo did. As the campaign progressed, Theodore assumed that mantle. He averaged roughly 26 minutes per night in the playoffs—two minutes more than the next‑highest teammate—and made the most of his shifts even without power‑play time. He became a dependable penalty killer, and paired with McNabb formed a duo that was difficult to oppose. “There’s no question that Theodore spearheads this defence now,” the article notes. “It may come with a sacrifice of offensive production, but he’s 31 years old now and isn’t chasing Norris Trophy consideration.” Like many of his teammates, Theodore simply wants another chance at the Stanley Cup. “It sucks to go all that way and lose,” Theodore said. “We battled through a lot with a lot of injuries. I’m just proud of how we all came together.” Including Pietrangelo’s $8.8 million cap hit that will move to long‑term injured reserve, the Knights have $41.1 million in average annual value committed to defense. Rem