The Golden Knights Prospect Report will be a monthly article to give Vegas Golden Knights fans a peek into who will be wearing the black and gold in the future. I will have a top 10 list of players and discuss how they performed in the previous month, along with prospects who are trending up and down.
The parameters for the list are as follows; I will consider them a prospect if they are below the age of 25 and have under 50 games played in the NHL.
With the Golden Knights about to start their third season in franchise history, many analysts did not think they would be competitive until season three. With the number of assets accumulated by former general manager George McPhee, they had a number of draft picks to build a contender.
What they did not expect was making it to the Stanley Cup Final in their first year and being a Cup favorite in their second season. The management group felt it necessary to trade assets to bolster their current roster, but it has paid many dividends. Their current group of prospects still contain blue chippers along with a number of late-round finds and free-agent signings.
Here is this month’s top-10 list.
Top-10 Golden Knights Prospects
1. Cody Glass, Portland Winterhawks/Chicago Wolves (Center)
- Draft Information: 2017 First Round (Sixth Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- Portland Winterhawks: *39 games played (GP), 16 goals (G), 54 assists (A), plus-16, 157 shots on goal (SOG), 4 power-play goals (PPG)
- Chicago Wolves: *28 GP, 10 G, 10 A, even, 52 SOG, 1 PPG
- *Stats include playoff game
The first-ever draft pick in Golden Knights history, Cody Glass is a future top-six center as early as this season. After his Portland Winterhawks team was knocked out of the playoffs, he joined the Golden Knights AHL team, the Chicago Wolves. He proved he was ready for the professional ranks as he scored 15 points in 22 playoff games and scored three game-winners.
His best quality is his ability to make plays at both ends of the ice. He possesses a high hockey IQ with great vision and puck skills. If he is not in a Golden Knights sweater at the start of this season, he will be the first call up as an injury replacement.
2. Peyton Krebs, Kootenay Ice (Center)
- Draft Information: 2019 First Round (17th Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- 64 GP, 19 G, 49 A, minus-50, 185 SOG, 8 PPG
Kootenay Ice forward Peyton Krebs.
Peyton Krebs was projected to be a top-10 pick, but an unfortunate injury while training saw him fall to 17. He was easily the best player available at that spot and management didn’t think twice about skipping over him. He is a smart player with a competitive edge and was labeled as one of the best playmakers in his draft class.
He is also a natural-born leader; he was captain for the Kootenay Ice last season and wore the “C” for the U18 Canadian team. With his injury, he will return to the Ice to rehab and develop. He is a complete all-around player and with a one-two punch of Glass and Krebs, the Golden Knights are set down the middle for years to come.
3. Nicolas Hague, Chicago Wolves (Defense)
- Draft Information: 2017 Second Round (34th Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- *97 GP, 17 G, 26 A, plus-28, 212 SOG, 6 PPG
- *Stats include playoff games
Nicholas Hague is the first defenseman to check-in on this list. He is a towering specimen, registering at 6-foot-6, 215 pounds. He plays a physical brand of hockey, has a long reach, and is very sound in his own zone. He can also contribute offensively, as he scored 35 goals in his final junior season.
Last season, he graduated to the professional ranks. There is usually a transition period for players as they go from playing against teenagers to men, but he did not seem to skip a beat. We could see him suit up for the Golden Knights as early as this season if he plays well in camp as the organization is in need of one more defenseman.
4. Pavel Dorofeyev, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Left Wing)
- Draft Information: 2019 Third Round (79th Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- 48 GP, 18 G, 16 A, plus-22, 84 SOG, 5 PPG
Pavel Dorofeyev was a third-round selection in 2019 but has first-round talent. The stats above are a combination of his time in the MHL, Russia’s top junior league, and the KHL. He dominated the MHL, scoring 17 goals and 31 points in only 19 games.
Then he saw game action in the KHL, playing in 23 games but only scoring two points. Transitioning to a league full of men is always a tough task, so there is no need to stress about his production. He is reliable in his own zone and the only major flaw he has is the “Russian Factor”. If he can continue to build off a successful 2018-19 and add weight to his frame, you could see him at the T-Mobile Arena by the 2020-21 season.
5. Jimmy Schuldt, St. Cloud State University (Defense)
- Draft Information: Undrafted
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- 39 GP, 10 G, 25 A, plus-24, 79 SOG, 4 PPG
Jimmy Schuldt signed with the Golden Knights out of college right before the end of last season. He enjoyed a very successful four years of college hockey: NCHC Player of the Year, finalist for the Hobey Baker, two First-Team All Star awards, and finishing with 118 points in 156 games for St. Cloud State.
After signing a one year entry-level contract, he played the final regular season game for the Golden Knights and led the team in time on ice and registered an assist. He has been re-signed by the club and is on a one-way deal, bolstering his chances of making the opening night roster.
6. Dylan Coghlan, Chicago Wolves (Defense)
- Draft Information: Undrafted
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- 66 GP, 15 G, 25 A, plus-4, 143 SOG, 10 PPG
Another undrafted defenseman on the list, Dylan Coghlan was signed out of the WHL after his overage season. As a rookie last season, he quarterbacked the top power play unit and led all rookie defensemen with 15 goals. He was injured during the Wolves’ playoff run and only played in seven postseason games.
With the 15 goals, you instantly think he is an offensive defenseman, but he is a two-way defender. He plays a smart, simple game and isn’t afraid of using his body to take the puck away from his opponents. He has the ability to skate the puck out of his own end or make a crisp first pass out of the zone.
He is another defenseman who could challenge for the open spot on the Golden Knights’ roster as the team looks for another cheap contract to keep them under the salary cap.
7. Jack Dugan, Providence College (Left Wing)
- Draft Information: 2017 Fifth Round (142nd Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- 41 GP, 10 G, 29 A, plus-5, 74 SOG, 1 PPG
Jack Dugan was a rookie in the college ranks last season and did not need an adjustment period. He played at almost a point-per-game pace and will look to duplicate that success this season. The Golden Knights have plenty of depth at forward so he can continue to develop at the college ranks; he is still a few seasons away but could be a great middle-six option for the future.
8. Nicolas Roy, Charlotte Checkers (Center)
- Draft Information: 2015 Fourth Round (96th Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- *88 GP, 23 G, 28 A, plus-25, 171 SOG, 4 PPG
- *Stats include playoff games
Nicolas Roy was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes but found himself on the Golden Knights roster this past offseason in a trade that sent Erik Haula the other way. He is a reliable two-way center that is a clutch performer. He recorded 36 points in 69 regular-season games but added 15 points in 19 playoff games.
With the departure of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, the organization will look to fill their fourth-line center role internally and he should get a long look for that spot during the preseason.
9. Zach Whitecloud, Chicago Wolves (Defense)
- Draft Information: Undrafted
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- *96 GP, 9 G, 34 A, plus-28, 130 SOG, 1 PPG
- *Stats include playoff games
The third undrafted defenseman on this list is Zach Whitecloud. He topped the AHL during the regular season in plus/minus with a plus-39. The former Bemidji State standout reads plays very well and is able to think the game on a different level. He skates well for a big man and zips the puck out of the zone when making passes.
Another potential option to round out the Golden Knights defense, he will be a player who can be relied upon to anchor the bottom pairing.
10. Ivan Morozov, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (Center)
- Draft Information: 2018 Second Round (34th Overall)
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2018-19 Season Stats:
- *20 GP, 13 G, 14 A, plus-15, 48 SOG, 5 PPG
- *Stats only include games played in Russia’s MHL
Ivan Morozov is an exceptional skater and a smart player. For a player so young, he takes a lot of responsibility in his own zone and is able to transition a takeaway and turn it into a scoring opportunity.
He is still developing in Russia and will most likely stay home for another season or two, then he will need to transition to the smaller ice surface in the AHL. You won’t see him in a Golden Knights sweater for a few seasons, but he will be a player that you will have full confidence in when he does hop the pond.
These rankings will be updated every month as the season goes along and players will be moving up and down based on their play.
All stats were provided by www.eliteprospects.com