EP Rinkside Prospect Pool Rankings: No. 12 Ranked Vegas Golden Knights
It’s remarkable that an NHL team could trade away Nick Suzuki and Erik Brännström and still have their prospect pool rank as high as No. 12 in the NHL.
The Golden Knights certainly deserve a tip of the hat for the way that they’ve drafted and developed prospects, with the caveat that it’s still early. Early as it may be, though, fruits of the scouting staff’s labour are already showing at development camp, and a few players on this list will likely be making some noise at training camp this fall.
1. Cody Glass, C, Portland Winterhawks
Cody Glass is the reason that the Golden Knights could confidently trade away Suzuki.
It wasn’t enough for Glass to just light the WHL on fire with 69 points in only 38 contests. At the conclusion of the Portland Winterhawks season, Glass immediately bolted for the Golden Knight’s AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves, in the midst of a Calder Cup Playoffs run. Glass made the graduation look easy, leading the Wolves with 15 points in 22 games.
It’s not even the numbers themselves that should capture your attention. It’s that Glass could pull off that transition from major junior to professional hockey so easily. In the playoffs, no less. It’s a testament to the maturity of his game.
This is by no means a guarantee, but I’ll be surprised if he isn’t on the Golden Knights’ roster at some point next season, whether that’s on opening night or otherwise.
Glass is able to play the way that he does thanks to a high hockey IQ and excellent vision that allows him to read his options and make smart decisions at full game speed. Below, in the first round of the Calder Cup playoffs against the Grand Rapids Griffins, Glass receives the puck from a teammate but doesn’t act right away. Instead, he keeps to the perimeter, protecting the puck from opponents until he finds a shooting lane he knows is his best option. He fires. The puck goes in.
He’s also got fantastic puck skills. Check out the way Glass (No. 8 in white) snaps this shot off nearly as soon as he gets the puck at the 2018 World Junior Championships.
2. Peyton Krebs, C, Kootenay Ice
Peyton Krebs played in an awful situation last season, captaining a struggling Kootenay Ice team as an underage player. Seeing him drop to No. 17 overall was a surprise. Krebs’ skill level alone should have merited top ten status. That oversight was a blessing in disguise for the Golden Knights. They seized on that moment, stealing Krebs at No. 17 overall. This will only become more apparent with time.
While Krebs did not participate in Golden Knights’ development camp this summer due to an Achilles injury suffered shortly before the draft, he is expected to make a full recovery and rejoin the Ice as they move from Kootenay to Winnipeg this fall.
Krebs has excellent hockey sense, and it allows him to spot gaps in coverage when they occur. If he sees an opportunity, he can pounce on it. His puck skills help here as well. In the clip below, you can see him get off a saucer pass between two defensemen to set up a scoring chance for his teammate. That pass is successful because Krebs waited until the moment that he could tell the lane would be open.
3. Pavel Dorofeyev, W, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk
Dorofeyev has skill coming out of his ears. While the Golden Knights managed to pick him up in the third round in June, prior to the draft there was a decent amount of discussion that — looking purely at skill — Dorofeyev was a first-round talent. In fact, Dorofeyev ranked No. 16 on the final EP Rinkside board for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
With a lack of international viewings, it isn’t a surprise that he dropped out of that range at the actual draft, but he’s going to look like a steal faster than most people think. He’s got exceptional puck skills, he’s incredibly smart, and he ties that together with shifty, elusive skating (though his first step could use some work).
Here you can see Dorofeyev carry the puck through practically an entire team to begin a scoring chance. One reason he’s able to keep the puck as he moves is the small directional changes he can make in his skating, shifting his body this way and that. Add that to his control of the puck, and the way he can shift it efficiently out of the range of opponents’ sticks, and you’ve got attractive skill indeed.
Dorofeyev’s vision, and the patience he’s able to have in these moments is also quite valuable. Here he doesn’t just keep the puck out of his opponents’ reach as he carries it across the ice; he’s looking for a shooting lane, and he’s looking for the goalie to give up an opportunity. He’s able to wait until he sees one that he knows could be successful. Then he shoots.
4. Nic Hague, D, Chicago Wolves
The Golden Knights trading Brännström is good news for Nic Hague, who previously ranked just below him on the list of the franchise’s top defensive prospects. While Hague likely isn’t ready to make the leap to the NHL just yet, he will see more offensive opportunity with the Wolves this year, given Brannstrom’s departure and his successful transition to the AHL last season. One notable improvement in Hague’s game already—and one that bodes well for his ability to succeed at the professional level—is his skating, which was a knock during his draft year and looks significantly better now.
One strength of Hague’s game is the long reach that his huge frame gives him. Thanks to his hockey sense, he’s able to use that reach for great gap control, cutting down any opportunities that his opponents might seek. His offensive instincts have made the leap to the AHL with him as well. While his scoring took a dip, that’s normal when transitioning from major-junior to professional hockey, and particularly for a defender. His shot certainly didn’t take a step backward, if the goal below against the Grand Rapids Griffins is any indication.
5. Zach Whitecloud, D, Chicago Wolves
Hague’s defensive partner on the Chicago Wolves, Zach Whitecloud, might be sitting behind his buddy on his list but he’s no slouch. Signed out of Bemidji State, Whitecloud was used as one of the Wolves’ top defensemen last season and made a sound transition from the college game to the pros. His offensive game, in particular, showed improvement after the Brannstrom trade, when he was given more opportunity, especially on the top power play unit.
Whitecloud is an intriguing prospect in that he likely is who he seems to be right now, but at the same time could be a surprising dark horse to make the NHL roster as a cheap third-pair player. He’s mobile, reliable, and poised, making smart decisions in his own zone. He also has a very cap-friendly salary (something that will likely play into a lot of the Golden Knights’ decisions this year). The combination of his skill and utility are why he landed where he did on this list.
6. Kaedan Korczak, D, Kelowna Rockets
One of the Golden Knights’ most recent draft picks, Kaedan Korczak adds some nice depth to the team’s already-intriguing defensive pool. In his second season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, Korczak more than doubled his offensive production from his rookie year. This bodes well for his future, though it’s important to watch him carefully this season and see whether his progress continues. His skill set tells us that it should.
Korczak is a tremendous skater, with a smooth stride and good top speeds, but the best part of his skating is his agility and edgework. His skating (and his strong first pass) helps him begin the transition quickly, and he’s more than willing to start or jump into the rush. He’s not a fancy player, but he’s good one-on-one, especially when it comes to gap control, and he’s smart. Korczak is good at identifying lanes that he can use as opportunities himself, and at breaking up opponents’ opportunities by cutting down their lanes. He’s got at least one more WHL season ahead of him, but you can be sure he’s a prospect that management will be watching carefully.
7. Jack Dugan, RW, Providence College
A fifth-round pick in the Golden Knights’ very first draft, Jack Dugan has certainly begun to look like a diamond in the rough. Dugan is a product of the USHL—he spent a year with the Chicago Steel — and will return to Providence College for his sophomore season this fall. He was quite productive in his rookie season at Providence, putting up 39 points in 41 games, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his production take another step forward this year. A power forward style player, Dugan makes smart decisions to create plays in the offensive zone and break them up in his own end.
He’s a good skater with a powerful stride and strong acceleration and speed, and puck skills that he can use at that top speed. Take this goal against the University of Denver, for example. Dugan finds himself on a breakaway of sorts after he kind of chips the puck forward. Once he gets through his opponents and has the puck under his control, he goes from the forehand to the backhand, then slides it right past Denver’s goaltender.
One of my favourite bits of Dugan’s game is how quick he is to get in on the forecheck. He’s really tenacious, trying to force turnovers, and that sort of drive and initiative paired with his offensive skill are somewhat reminiscent of Philadelphia Flyers prospect Joel Farabee. They’re also qualities that will serve Dugan well in the future as he tries to make a case for himself as a legitimate NHL player.
8. Isaiah Saville, G, Tri-City Storm
One of the things that first caught my eye watching Isaiah Saville was the way that he’s able to track the puck. I don’t always trust my own evaluation of goaltenders, however — it’s not an area of expertise for me the way evaluating skaters is — so I spoke with a colleague and all-around goalie guru Catherine Silverman for her assessment of Saville.
“His tracking is probably one of the best parts of his game, and it saves him often enough; he’s a ‘smaller’ goaltender by some scouting standards so his ability to keep the play in his line of sight helps him stay on top of things and avoid being caught out of position,” Silverman said. “He wouldn’t have made it this far without the tracking game that he has, since he doesn’t have the reach to recover from bad reads and positioning — but his lateral speed and flexibility certainly don’t hurt, either. He could stand to clean up his technical game a little bit, but he’s still young; if he continues to develop some control and finds a happy medium between a conservative game and Prior’s preferred wild style, he likely has a bright future ahead of him.”
There’s nothing really critical about this moment below—there’s no big important save or impressive display of athleticism—but I wanted to pull it out because if you keep your eyes on Saville, you can see him carefully following the play so that he knows where to be and when.
https://media.giphy.com/media/MdjTlEz9rv61yLA8B8/giphy.gif
9. Lucas Elvenes, LW, Rögle BK
Lucas Elvenes is another player from the Golden Knights’ first crop of draft picks. He was a late-round pick, though you wouldn’t know it to listen to current opinion of him. He’s a smart, driven playmaking forward whose confidence seems to grow over the course of a season — his role has expanded progressively over his past two SHL seasons — and the Golden Knights are no doubt hoping that he’ll take a significant step forward this year when he joins the Chicago Wolves.
While he had a taste of the smaller ice surface at this year’s World Junior Championships, this year will be a prime opportunity to prove that he has what it takes to stick around and succeed in North American professional hockey.
One thing Elvenes is really good at is creating and seeing opportunities. He projects as a skilled, creative playmaker who has the potential to eat opponents’ defence alive if he pans out. This is, of course, the best-case scenario. We’ll see whether he brings that ability to the AHL this year. An element of his game that will help? His excellent agility and edgework, which help him elude opponents.
10. Nicolas Roy, C, Charlotte Checkers
Some might have Nicolas Roy a bit higher on this list due to his professional experience — he has two seasons of AHL experience under his belt with the Charlotte Checkers, including a Calder Cup win this past spring — but his scoring isn’t where I’d prefer it to be with the kind of experience that he has. It’s not unusual to see a player (who isn’t in the elite tier of prospects) from the QMJHL experience a drop in scoring rates when they move to a tougher professional league, but with Roy it feels like an indicator that his ceiling just isn’t quite as high as one might prefer.
All week long, @JDylanBurke is looking at prospects dealt around the Draft and free agency.
Today that starts with a look at what the Vegas Golden Knights can expect from Nicolas Roy.#VegasBorn #TakeWarning https://t.co/qK0c5U6O5L pic.twitter.com/OSvamo9TON
— EP Rinkside (@EPRinkside) July 8, 2019
This isn’t to say he’s in any way a bad player or a bust, however. There’s still a lot to like from Roy, and those qualities (and his low salary) could see him make his way onto the Golden Knights’ roster at some point in the near future.
Roy has good hockey sense that drives his puck skills. Here you can see him protecting the puck behind the net, staying on top of it until he finds an option to pass to a teammate and set up a scoring chance.
He’s good at identifying his options and making the smart choice. Below, he rifles off a pass to a teammate through traffic for another scoring chance. According to ICEBERG, in the 11 games they have tracked over the last three regular seasons, Roy has an 87.9 percent successful pass rate in the neutral zone and 73.6 percent pass rate in the offensive zone. It’s a small sample size, but that’s useful.
11. Dylan Ferguson, G, Kamloops Blazers
Last season was Dylan Ferguson’s final WHL season, and while we aren’t yet sure whether he’ll land in Chicago or with the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL (more teams are utilizing their ECHL affiliates to get goaltending prospects lots of playing time, rather than having them sit on the bench as backup — it has been and will be great for development), we know he’ll be turning pro this year. It won’t be his first professional appearance, however; he played one game for the Golden Knights during the 2017-18 season, when they had such a horrendous run of goaltender injuries.
“I think it’s worth pointing out that [Ferguson] was in a no-win situation his rookie year having to play in the NHL as an 18-year-old for a horrific game,” Silverman told me. “I think he’s resilient and gets applause for not backsliding.”
12. Jonas Røndbjerg, W, Växjö Lakers HC
It’s a fair guess that, given the gaudy offensive totals of several Golden Knights prospects, Jonas Røndbjerg won’t be the first forward prospect anyone thinks of. With a step back offensively last year during his second SHL season, he might not be the first one management thinks of either. Here’s the important thing to remember: he’s 19.
He’s coming over to play for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL this fall (barring him blowing everyone away in training camp and nabbing an NHL spot, which is unlikely), and adjusting to the differences in the North American game and ice surface may be a challenge, but it will be one that ultimately should be good for his development.
It’s not easy to play in the SHL as a younger guy, especially when your team has a lot of veterans around, but if you look past Rondbjerg’s point totals there are a lot of things to like about the way that he plays the game. He’s quick, with a powerful skating stride and great lateral movement, qualities that will serve him well in his transition to the smaller North American ice. He’s tenacious on the forecheck and wins board battles, which are important qualities in the grinding, physical AHL. He’s also incredibly smart, with a high hockey IQ and sound offensive instincts. Knowing this, it feels safe to assume that his step back last season was, at least in part, due to context and usage, and potentially ensuing confidence issues. The AHL should be a good fresh start. We’ll see what he makes of it.
13. Layton Ahac, D, Prince George Spruce Kings
Layton Ahac was a bit of a sleeper pick this year (the Golden Knights took him in the third round), but digging a bit beneath the surface, he looks like he’s got a pretty good bit of potential. He spent last season with the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL and is headed to Ohio State this fall to begin his NCAA career. He’s a poised player, composed, even under pressure from opponents, and he’s a very good skater with a smooth, fluid stride.
While he’s often cited as a two-way defenseman, he was a point-per-game player in the BCHL playoffs and has good offensive instincts, including excellent passing ability. The test will be to see whether he can keep up his offensive game as he makes the jump to the college game. He’s also got a lanky frame, but being in college and in the weight room will help with that.
One thing I’d love to see him do in college is use the nice little store of shots he’s got, as evidenced by the two goals shown below.
14. Paul Cotter, C, London Knights
Cotter missed this year’s development camp with an injury, but that’s not the only reason he’s this far down the rankings. After leaving Western Michigan eight games into last season to join the London Knights of the OHL, Cotter scored at just over a half a point per game pace. At this point in his development, in a league like the OHL, he would ideally be scoring more than that. There’s a decent chance that it was a situation affected by opportunity, so I won’t be making up my mind on whether he’s a got a solid NHL shot just based on last year. It’ll be crucial, both for his standing with management and his own confidence, that he has a strong bounce-back season this year when he joins the Chicago Wolves.
The thing is, Cotter is a smart player and a good playmaker. He’s got legitimate offensive upside and a nice skating speed to go along with it. He’s only 19, so he has time to slide back up the rankings when it comes to Golden Knights’ forward prospects—as long as he takes the chances he’s given and runs with them.
15. Dylan Coghlan, D, Chicago Wolves
Dylan Coghlan, an undrafted defenseman, signed with the Golden Knights as an overager in 2018 after spending four seasons with the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. In his first AHL season, he put up pretty respectable offensive numbers, with 40 points (including 15 goals) in 66 games. He’s another who will benefit from the absence of Brannstrom in the AHL, too—it’ll be interesting to see what sort of opportunities are there for the taking, and who takes them.
The progress Coghlan has made over the last few years make him a legitimate NHL prospect, especially when his offensive upside, fluid skating, and heavy shot are taken into account. He’s sound in his own end, preferring to play a simple game, and isn’t afraid to get physical when it’s necessary to cut down an opponent’s attack. He also showed well on the power play, something of which management in Vegas no doubt took notice.
