Golden Knights' Young Forward To Be A Healthy Scratch For The First Time This Season

Alexander Holtz will be a healthy scratch for the first time in his Vegas Golden Knights career.

Since he was acquired from the New Jersey Devils in the offseason, Holtz has dressed in each game during the 2024/25 campaign. In the 44 games, he's scored three goals and 10 points, moving up and down the lineup very frequently.

The 22-year-old last scored on Jan. 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers, six games ago. On the season, he's averaging 11:31 of ice time and has been struggling to make an impact. Before he was selected in the first round of the 2020 NHL draft, Holtz was known for his skill and his exceptional shot. Throughout his NHL career, Holtz has found incorporating that part of his game extremely difficult.

Coming into the lineup for Holtz against the Carolina Hurricanes will be Cole Schwindt. The 23-year-old was claimed off of waivers by the Golden Knights from the Calgary Flames. The decision to claim him has paid off as he's developed into a solid fourth-line center. His offensive numbers aren't eye-popping and he's still searching for his first career goal but is solid in the face-off dot and has helped the Golden Knights defensively.

The Golden Knights are healthy for one of the first times this season and it's forcing HC Bruce Cassidy to make difficult decisions about his lineup. It's a good problem to have but is something that Cassidy must do.

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