Jeremy Lauzon And Colton Sissons Are “Players You Can Win With”

The prized acquisition for the Golden Knights this summer was Mitch Marner, and while his play will be a huge impact of Vegas’ success in 2025-26, the depth pieces that were added to aid his arrival will also play a big role.

Nic Roy and Nic Hague were sent away, and in return, the Golden Knights added Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon. Of course, in the introductory press conference, Marner dominated the conversation, but general manager Kelly McCrimmon made sure to stress the importance of the lesser-known pieces.

I use the phrase when I describe Colton the same way I’d describe Jeremy Lauzon as ‘they are guys you can win with.’ -Kelly McCrimmon

Lauzon is best known for being a physical defenseman whose game is highlighted by big hits and key blocked shots. Two years ago, he broke the NHL record for most hits in a season with 383 (50 more than the next closest player and 100 more than Keegan Kolesar). His offensive game is extremely limited as he’s scored just 14 goals in his 316 games with just 45 points. He has also fought through injuries at different points in his career, including a lower-body injury that kept him out from December 31st to the end of the season.

As for Sissons, he is the classic 4th line center. He’s a straight-line player who gets in on the forecheck, is willing to go to the front of the net, and absorbs a lot of defensive responsibility in all situations. He’s been described as “Mr. Consistency” during his time in Nashville, having played 11 seasons and nearly 700 games with the Preds.

I don’t want to oversell Colton Sissons but I don’t want to undersell him. He’s very defined in what he is and I think he’s very good at that. -McCrimmon

Nothing about either player’s statistics is going to impress, and that will not be expected of either in Vegas. But, the roles they each have to play will be crucial for different reasons to this year’s Golden Knights.

For Lauzon, he will have to be solid enough to fill a 3rd pair role, likely with youngster Kaedan Korczak. Because the two pairs ahead of them will feature Shea Theodore on one and Noah Hanifin on the other, a lot of defensive zone starts will fall to Lauzon. If the Golden Knights want to continue getting big-time contributions from their offensive-minded defensemen, the 3rd pair will have to be able to hold up against tough competition. Lauzon will need to earn Bruce Cassidy’s and John Stevens’ trust quickly for the defensive unit to remain as solid as it’s been.

As for Sissons, his role will be to bring back the “identity” to the 4th line that lacked in the postseason vs. Edmonton. VGK couldn’t seem to find those grinding offensive zone shifts enough against the Oilers in order to hand over positive situations to the top-six. That meant much more defensive work for Vegas’ best forwards, and it muted the offense. McCrimmon mentioned that Sissons will play as a center in Vegas, meaning he’ll be flanked by Kolesar and either Brett Howden or Brandon Saad. They’ll probably be asked to start periods and establish a forecheck against opposing top lines.

These are not sexy roles, so even if both Lauzon and Sissons are successful at them, the stats will probably not show it. But, for the Golden Knights to get back to being a team that relies upon its depth, they’ll both have to step up in a big way right from the get-go of the season.