Still stingy: Defense is once again carrying the Golden Knights despite concerns coming into the season

Noah Hanifin missed nearly a month of action after going down with an undisclosed injury in the Golden Knights’ season opener but had no desire to ease back into the lineup upon regaining his health.

Instead of getting reduced ice time with a gradual increase like many players in his situation, Hanifin immediately logged enough minutes to rival fellow defenseman Shea Theodore as Vegas’ most prolific skater.It’s what he wanted—the 29-year-old, third-year Golden Knight felt he had a reputation to help uphold.

“Us as a team, we always take pride in playing good defensive hockey in front of whoever is in net,” Hanifin said. 

Defensive sharpness is a principle the Golden Knights are built on, especially under fourth-year coach Bruce Cassidy, and it hasn’t slipped now, roughly a quarter into the 2025-2026 campaign.

The blue line might have been the biggest concern coming into the season with Vegas’ longtime defensive leader and stalwart, Alex Pietrangelo, stepping away from hockey to nurse chronic hip injuries. But the unit has upheld its standard without him.

Other issues have cropped up during a relatively rough start that at one point saw the Golden Knights lose eight of 11 games and four straight, but defense has been a consistent strength. Vegas is right back in its usual spot near the top of the league by almost all advanced defensive metrics.

“We don’t give up a lot of shots,” Cassidy said in the middle of the swoon.

The Golden Knights sat third in the league in expected goals allowed through the first 20 games, despite sitting 11th in actual goals allowed.

That hints at more of a shortcoming with the goaltending than the defense, which should be no surprise considering starting goalie Adin Hill has been out since the sixth game of the year with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to miss at least another month according to a Sportsnet report.

Former New Jersey Devil Akira Schmid and rookie Carl Lindbom—the leading goaltending duo for the Henderson Silver Knights a year ago—have filled in with flashes of competent play. But they rate second-to-last in the NHL as a pair in high-danger save percentage.

Help could be on the way in the form of former Philadelphia Flyer Carter Hart, who is eligible to return to the NHL on December 1 after serving a suspension for his role in a sexual assault case. The Golden Knights made the controversial signing of the one-time top prospect shortly after a Canadian judge acquitted him and four of his former Canada World Junior teammates of all charges.

Theodore, Hanifin and company are out to make it as easy as possible on whomever ultimately seizes the reins in the crease as the Golden Knights chase their fifth Pacific Division title and second Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Hanifin has been steady since he returned, but Theodore has transcended to outstanding.

The “Original Misfit” top pairing of Theodore and Brayden McNabb leads the NHL in goals allowed per 60 minutes, according to Moneypuck.

“I’m feeling better as we go,” Theodore said recently. “It’s a little bit of a change this year with Petro being out, but I feel like I’m starting to come into my own.”

Playing a career-high in minutes, the enhanced defensive responsibilities initially appeared to cut into his typical high-level offensive impact, but the balance is beginning to be resorted.

Theodore had a point in four of five games spanning November 10-18, including his first two goals of the season.

“Something’s happened there where it’s clicked with him,” Cassidy said. “We knew it would sooner or later. He’s too good of a player so I’m not surprised.”

The lofty potential of Theodore-McNabb this season was always evident, but the strong play of the primary third pairing of 2019, second-round pick Kaeden Korczak and trade-acquired Jeremy Lauzon, has been more of a revelation. Korczak and Lauzon are 15th in the NHL in the aforementioned statistic that Theodore and McNabb lead.

Lauzon is now on injured reserve, but optimism abounds that Korczak can maintain success in his first consistent NHL action with fellow veteran Ben Hutton as his new partner.

“I’m getting more comfortable,” Korczak said. “I’m just trying to help out any way I can.”

Zach Whitecloud, who’s mostly skating alongside Hanifin at the moment, is the lone defenseman who might be playing below expectation. But he’s been with the organization since the beginning, including as a valuable contributor since 2020, so there’s a comfort level that the 28-year-old will turn it around.

Defense might be the area where the Golden Knights have encountered the fewest problems over the years. That trend remains alive and well this season.

“I’ve been pretty pleased with how the whole team defended,” Cassidy said.

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.