(Photo credit: SinBin.vegas photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Less than a week into training camp, the operative word is change. Every line of forwards and every pair of defensemen is different than what the Golden Knights used in their seven-game series against the Dallas Stars.

We’ve already talked about the necessary changes in the forward group with the departure of regulars on all four lines, but the defense looked much more stable with the loss of just Alec Martinez. Still, all three defensive pairings are also on the verge of change, even with only familiar faces.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy and his trusty defensive assistant John Stevens could have fielded the exact same group they started the series with in Dallas, but instead they relied on something they saw late in the season to give their defense a new look.

Some of that came from last year’s Hague/Hanifin pairing, which we really liked. Nic played right wing in the juniors. With an extra left stick, someone has to go there. Theodore talked about going to the other side if an opportunity came up. -Bruce Cassidy

The new pairs are Theodore with Pietrangelo, McNabb with Whitecloud and, as mentioned, Hanifin with Hague.

This marks a change in position for both Theodore and Hague, who have both played over 80% of their games on the other side. The move appears to be in the name of generating more scoring potential from the blue line.

We want to get more offense out of our back end. Pietrangelo and Theodore are elite defenders in the league. I think it’s not a risk for us to have two drivers in the same pair because our third pair is Whitecloud and McNabb and they’re two good players in the league. -Cassidy

No Golden Knights defenseman scored more than five goals last season (Theodore) and the entire group scored just 27 goals, which was the fourth-fewest in the NHL last season. The year before, Cassidy’s first season, Vegas allowed 36 goals from defensemen, just a few shy of the league average.

If Theodore and Pietrangelo play together, they should provide a lot of offensive power, especially when they’re on the ice with one of Vegas’ top scoring offensive lines.

Obviously Theo loves to get there (in the game) and so do I, but I think if we can find that balance with each other… we’re both intelligent hockey players, so we’ll be able to read each other. -Alex Pietrangelo

Cassidy said he thinks it’s easier to do some trial and error early in the year than later. By making changes early in the season rather than relying on what has worked in the past, the Golden Knights’ coaching staff should get a little more information about their team as the season progresses.

It all looks good on paper, now it’s time for the players to make it work on the ice.