Mon, Jan 4, 9:00 p.m. ET · All games
VGK at COL
Vegas Golden Knights at Colorado Avalanche. Preview from the model, the licensed feeds and last season's measures. Nothing here is a betting recommendation.
- Model now
- Expected score
- Market
- —
- Venue
- Ball Arena
Pre-game price · not yet frozen
What the model says now
Lineups not yet published: each club's usual lineup assumed. Starting goalie not confirmed: goaltending held at league average. This estimate moves until the ledger freezes it before puck drop.
Source: CapOrCup game model (derived from club ratings, rest and starters)
Schedule spot
What the schedule did to each side
Nights off, back-to-backs, third games in four nights, road-trip position and travel since the last game, from the statistical schedule. Shown as facts; rest is in the price, travel is not.
1 night off · 1000 km since the last game, 1 time zone
1 night off · 1000 km since the last game, 1 time zone
Starters · depth chart 2026-10-12
In goal
The league names no starter before puck drop. First on each club's depth chart, from the licensed feed, is the expected starter.
Carter Hart
Mackenzie Blackwood
Projected lineups · Sportradar NHL API v7, team depth charts · as of 2026-10-12
Expected lines
What each club intends per the feed's depth chart, with each forward's shooter rating (Elo, against the goalies faced last season). A listing is the club's statement, not a game sheet.
Vegas Golden Knights
L1 Ivan Barbashev (above the league middle) · Jack Eichel (above the league middle) · Mark Stone (above the league middle)
L2 Brett Howden (above the league middle) · William Karlsson · Mitch Marner (top tenth of the league)
L3 Trevor Connelly · Tomas Hertl (bottom tenth of the league) · Raphael Lavoie
D1 Brayden McNabb (above the league middle) · Shea Theodore (above the league middle)
D2 Parker Wotherspoon (above the league middle) · Rasmus Andersson (top tenth of the league)
PP1 Mark Stone (above the league middle) · Tomas Hertl (bottom tenth of the league) · Trevor Connelly · Jack Eichel (above the league middle) · Victor Olofsson (below the league middle)
Colorado Avalanche
L1 Artturi Lehkonen (below the league middle) · Nathan MacKinnon (above the league middle) · Nazem Kadri (bottom tenth of the league)
L2 Gabriel Landeskog (below the league middle) · Brock Nelson (above the league middle) · Martin Necas (top tenth of the league)
L3 Jaden Schwartz (above the league middle) · Fedor Svechkov (below the league middle) · T.J. Hughes
D1 Devon Toews (below the league middle) · Cale Makar (above the league middle)
D2 Brett Kulak (below the league middle) · Noah Juulsen
PP1 T.J. Hughes · Nazem Kadri (bottom tenth of the league) · Nathan MacKinnon (above the league middle) · Martin Necas (top tenth of the league) · Cale Makar (above the league middle)
Injury listings · as of 2026-10-18
Who the clubs list as out
Club-announced listings relayed by the licensed feed. No cause is inferred; Day To Day players are shown but not counted as out.
Vegas Golden Knights
Kai Uchacz (C): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-29, expected back 2026-10-24
Lukas Cormier (D): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-29, expected back 2026-10-22
Parker Wotherspoon (D): Out (upper body), listed since 2026-10-12, expected back 2026-10-20
Victor Olofsson (LW): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-10-06, expected back 2026-11-02
Colorado Avalanche
Georgii Merkulov (C): Out (undisclosed), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-28
Logan O'Connor (RW): Out (lower-body), listed since 2026-09-28, expected back 2026-10-25
Nicolas Roy (C): Out (lower body), listed since 2026-10-14, expected back 2026-10-23
Zachary L'Heureux (LW): Out (upper body), listed since 2026-10-13, expected back 2026-10-23
Officials
Who has the whistle
Named by the league, usually near puck drop. Each referee's record is from last season's play-by-play penalties; ranks are distance from league norms.
Not on file (the league has not named the officials yet)