LAS VEGAS — On the first day of training camp, Vegas Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said he’s of the mindset that his forward lines should start with pairings, rather than trios.
“Find pairs that complement one another and are really good together and find a complimentary piece at the end of the day,” Cassidy said.
Fortunately for him, one of those complimentary pieces fit in nicely during the preseason, skating with different lines producing the only way he knows how – by any means necessary.
Pavel Dorofeyev, who made his NHL debut with the Knights in their 2021 season-opener against San Jose, closed out the exhibition campaign by scoring a hat trick against the Sharks in a 6-5 loss on Saturday night.
“I think you saw it last year, he’s real close to becoming that everyday goal scorer,” Vegas captain Mark Stone said. “He’s obviously an everyday NHLer now. I think he’s gonna take that next step to become an everyday producer.”
Dorofeyev opened camp skating with Stone and William Karlsson, who hasn’t skated since the third day of camp due to an undisclosed injury.
In Colorado, he was on a line with Jakub Brabenec and Zach. Aston-Reese.
In Saturday’s game, he skated alongside Tomas Hertl and Alexander Holtz and finished with four points.
And while Stone said Dorofeyev has a solid shot when he’s in the slot, he credited the young gunner’s scoring prowess to his aggressiveness, saying the 23-year-old isn’t afraid to take pucks to the net, go to areas that are uncomfortable to get to in order to produce.
“I think it could be the difference of being a 15-goal scorer or a 30-goal scorer,” Stone added.
After practice on Monday, Dorofeyev said he won’t have a problem finding chemistry wherever Cassidy decides to put him.
“There is no problem to find a chemistry,” said Dorofeyev, who was back with Holtz and Hertl at practice. “The different guys who play, no matter who I’m playing with. Honestly, it’s my job to grind those opportunities, to help the team win the games.
“I feel comfortable, absolutely, with everybody on this group, on this team. I’m just playing hockey.”
For Cassidy, it’s been a delight to watch Dorofeyev grow through Vegas’ system.
Dorofeyev signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Vegas in January of 2021, and went straight to the Knights’ AFL affiliate in nearby Henderson, the Silver Knights.
“I thought he had a good camp as a kid that I said had a chance right down the road,” Cassidy said. “Go to Henderson, work on your game, and he’s done a good job with that. Coaches down there have done a good job with it. And you can see it now that he be ready to pop this year.”
Cassidy noted Dorofeyev’s strength away from the puck, putting his hockey IQ to work and seeing the ice while structuring his attacks with efficiency, all due to his maturation process while getting to know and understand the league.
“His strength … is better now,” Cassidy said after Saturday’s game. “He’s getting through the middle of the ice with the sticks, around bodies, he’s able to keep possession of the puck. … And he can score.
“And by that, I mean he hits the net with his opportunities. He has poise in front of the net, like the deke move. … I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but we do feel that way, that he’s taken steps and now it’s the next one to be an NHL regular every night with the sort of idea that, ‘Hey, you’re going to play with a good centerman, you’re going to be given opportunities to score because we believe you can do it (and) still play a good 200-foot game.’
“He’s a good kid, works hard, very little maintenance, and it’s nice to see his progression. A guy that we’ve kind of built from the ground up … played through the system. It’s always nice when that happens. Makes everyone in the organization feel good.”
