Golden Knights: Five Standouts From Vegas’s Preseason

Zach Aston-Reese

Dorofeyev wasn’t the only Golden Knight with a multi-goal game during the preseason. Earlier in the week, Zach Aston-Reese’s two-goal night led the way in Vegas’s 6-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

Sadly for Golden Knights fans, however, Aston-Reese will not play for Vegas this season, as he was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. The journeyman forward had been on a two-way contract with the Golden Knights that he signed in July.

Tanner Lacynski

Much like Aston-Reese, Lacysnki agreed to a two-way contract with the Golden Knights in July. The former Ohio State standout has appeared in just 37 career NHL games, and spent all of last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite facing long odds to make Vegas’s roster, however, Lacynski had himself a very strong preseason campaign, recording two goals and three assists.

Lacynski was placed on waivers by the Golden Knights on Sunday. Should he clear the waiver wire, he will head to Vegas’s AHL affiliate in Henderson to begin the 2024-2025 season.

Tanner Pearson

It was indeed the September of Tanner(s). After agreeing to a professional tryout agreement with Vegas over the summer, the journeyman winger Pearson had an impressive preseason. Appearing in five of the team’s six exhibition games, the journeyman winger had two goals and an assist while recording a +3 rating.

As a result of his strong preseason showing, the Golden Knights signed Pearson to a one-year, $775,000 contract on October 4.

Akira Schmid

With Aiden Hill and and Ilya Samsonov locked in as Vegas’s top two goaltenders, Schmid will almost certainly begin the season with AHL Henderson. However, the 24 year-old Swiss netminder certainly did as much as he could to challenge that during his brief preseason action.

In 4.5 periods of exhibition work, Schmid allowed just one goal, stopping 35 shots in the process. While obviously a small sample size, it was certainly an encouraging run for the young goalie. If he keeps playing at a high level, he should find himself back in the NHL soon enough.