Avalanche vs. Golden Knights: Projected Lineups for Tonight's Matchup

Paradise, Nevada – As the Colorado Avalanche prepare to face off against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena tonight, hockey fans are eagerly anticipating a thrilling contest between two of the league's top teams. The Avalanche, currently boasting a stellar 27-2-7 record, will look to extend their winning streak against a Golden Knights team with a 17-8-10 record. Here’s a look at the projected lineups for both teams, current as of December 27, 2025:

Colorado Avalanche Projected Lineup

The Avalanche will field a familiar lineup, with Scott Wedgewood starting in goal. According to NHL.com, the team will dress the same lineup that secured a 1-0 victory against the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday.

• Forwards:

  • Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Martin Necas
  • Artturi Lehkonen — Brock Nelson — Valeri Nichushkin
  • Victor Olofsson — Ross Colton — Gavin Brindley
  • Parker Kelly — Jack Drury — Joel Kiviranta

• Defense:

  • Devon Toews — Cale Makar
  • Josh Manson — Brent Burns
  • Samuel Girard — Sam Malinski

• Goalies:

  • Scott Wedgewood
  • Mackenzie Blackwood

The Avalanche will be without Logan O'Connor, who is currently recovering from hip surgery. Zakhar Bardakov and Ilya Solovyov are expected to be scratched.

Vegas Golden Knights Projected Lineup

The Golden Knights will stick with the same lineup that dominated the San Jose Sharks in a 7-2 victory on Tuesday. Carter Hart is expected to start in goal.

• Forwards:

  • Ivan Barbashev — Mitch Marner — Mark Stone
  • Pavel Dorofeyev — Tomas Hertl — Alexander Holtz
  • Reilly Smith — Brett Howden — Branden Bowman
  • Brandon Saad — Colton Sissons — Keegan Kolesar

• Defense:

  • Brayden McNabb – Kaedan Korczak
  • Noah Hanifin — Ben Hutton
  • Jeremy Lauzon — Zach Whitecloud

• Goalies:

  • Carter Hart
  • Akira Schmid

The Golden Knights' injury list includes Jack Eichel (undisclosed), Adin Hill (lower body), William Karlsson (lower body), and Shea Theodore (upper body). Cole Reinhardt is expected to be scratched, and Dylan Coghlan has been reassigned to Henderson of the American Hockey League.

Keys to the Game

The Avalanche are favored to win, boasting a league-leading offense and a strong defense. Their ability to generate expected goals and a high save percentage from goalie Mackenzie Blackwood will be crucial. The Golden Knights, however, will rely on their top players like Mitch Marner and Mark Stone to generate offense and Carter Hart to provide solid goaltending.

Recent performance indicates the Golden Knights are averaging 3.4 goals per game in their last five outings, while allowing 3.2 goals per game. The Avalanche have been giving up 2.3 goals from 30.0 shots, averaging 3.2 penalties with a penalty-killing efficiency of 84.4%.

Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast on SCRIPPS and ALT.