New Knights center tasked with bringing identity back to 4th line

Everything is new to Colton Sissons. That’s a given when someone has played almost 700 games for one team during his career.

What isn’t new is the type of game Sissons is expected to bring to the Golden Knights. He’s going to win faceoffs. He’ll be responsible in his own zone. He’ll chip in offensively.

“Fortunately, I’ve played long enough to have played in most systems,” Sissons said.

The 31-year-old center, entering his 12th NHL season, knows what works well at this stage in his career. The Knights believe enough in those skill sets to allow Sissons to be the anchor on their “identity” fourth line.

Sissons, however, is entering new territory and playing on a new team for the first time. The Knights acquired the second-round pick from 2012, along with defenseman Jeremy Lauzon, on June 29 in the trade that sent defenseman Nic Hague to Nashville.

“It’s (been) a lot, man,” Sissons said. “Being in one organization my whole career, and doing it for a fairly long time, everything’s been really great.”

A new home

Sissons was a mainstay in Nashville, playing in 690 games. He was never a point producer, but rather the glue guy who could be relied on in different scenarios.

The Predators thought that was sufficient enough to give Sissons a unique contract in July 2019 — a seven-year, $20 million deal with a $2.857 million cap hit.

Sissons is a three-time 30-point scorer, including a career-high 35 points in 2023-24. That dropped to 21 points while missing the final 10 games of last season with a lower-body injury.

Before that, Sissons missed a combined six games the previous four years.

The Knights would love to have that durability for the kind of role Sissons is filling. Coach Bruce Cassidy and general manager Kelly McCrimmon talked about wanting the fourth line to get back to a trio that can impose its will on the forecheck.

That element was sorely lacking last season, McCrimmon said, when left wing William Carrier joined the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency.

The Knights are hoping they can get back to that with Sissons, left wing Brett Howden and right wing Keegan Kolesar.

“I think we could complement each other quite well,” Sissons said. “Everyone can really move. Everyone plays hard and tenacious. I think that forecheck, kind of in your face over and over again, could be a very impactful line for the team.”

Will the goals keep coming?

The challenge for that line is maintaining the same offensive output from last season. Howden is coming off the best season of his career with 23 goals and 40 points. Kolesar added a career-high 12 goals and 30 points while playing all 82 games.

Sissons is tasked with replacing center Nicolas Roy, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire right wing Mitch Marner, to be the anchor of that line. Not only is it about replacing a consistent 30-point player over the past four years but also someone who could get the most out of Howden and Kolesar offensively.

“I feel like he brings that same mentality to the line that we have,” Howden said. “He brings the size, he’s good on faceoffs, plays a simple game like me and (Kolesar).”

Sissons has been over 50 percent on faceoffs in every season of his career. That gives the Knights another option for the penalty kill and defensive-zone draws.

There’s still room for evaluation on that line. The three have played only one preseason game together. They probably will get more reps Wednesday when the Knights play the second of a home-and-home preseason series against the Colorado Avalanche.

Much like adjusting to new life in Las Vegas, Sissons is entering the season with an open mind.

“I’m not looking too far down the line,” he said. “I know the player that I am and the person that I am. I just want to come and bring that every day, kind of just build it up from there.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.