Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon has made several blockbuster trades within the last five years, some of which have sent a rift through the NHL. Some that come to mind are Noah Hanifin, Tomáš Hertl, and perhaps the biggest of them all, Jack Eichel.
With that, prospects and draft picks are constantly on the move and have usually been the first casualty when trying to build a Stanley Cup-contending roster. Understanding that, the focus has primarily been on the NHL roster and not the farm system, and the Golden Knights have never had quite the eye-popping prospect pool.
Related: Will Golden Knights’ GM Kelly McCrimmon Make a Splash at the Trade Deadline?
That said, there are still prospects across all levels of play that aren’t getting the attention of some of the more prominent prospects in the NHL. For February’s edition of the Golden Knights prospect report, we’ll be looking at Mathieu Cataford, Abram Wiebe, and Carl Lindbom.
Mathieu Cataford
Cataford was impressive during the rookie tournament in Los Angeles this past fall and has since been one of the top prospects in the Vegas system. The reigning Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) MVP has 15 goals and 53 points in 46 games of action this season.
The 2023 third-round pick for the Golden Knights has matured a lot this season with the Rimouski Océanic, and his play has also reflected that. The 19-year-old will likely play in the American Hockey League (AHL) next season, which he already got a small taste of last season, playing four games with the Henderson Silver Knights.
“I think especially with the games I played in the AHL, knowing that I could play already in the AHL in my 18-year-old season, I think it was really a boost of confidence,” Cataford said.
Cataford has everything a team wants in a bottom-six role and has a strong two-way game that would compare to a player like Conor Garland. Not to mention, his defensive game should translate quite nicely as well, being one of his strengths, and he has shown it in the QMJHL.
The Châteauguay, Quebec, Canada native has all the tools to succeed in the NHL, and this season with the Océanic has proven that.
Abram Wiebe
Wiebe, who currently plays in the NCAA with North Dakota, played two games against Arizona State and finished the weekend with two assists. While watching him play, it’s hard to miss him on the ice, given his 6-foot-3 stature; he’s a big kid.
At 21 years of age, Wiebe is a sophomore for the Fighting Hawks; he has played a significant role this season on the blue line, scoring four goals and 22 points in 31 games. His 22 points are second on the team for a defenseman behind Jake Livanavage, who has 25.
In the month of December, Wiebe was named NCHC (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) Defenseman of the Week after a four-point weekend. With the Fighting Hawks this season, he’s shown his ability to score on the power play and impact special teams.
Wiebe would likely benefit from another season with North Dakota next season, but it wouldn’t be crazy to think he could sign and jump to the AHL. The Silver Knights have tons of talent and could use a big defenseman like Wiebe, as he could also benefit from such a transition.
Carl Lindbom
Earlier, I had mentioned that Vegas doesn’t have a top-notch prospect in their system or the next Connor Bedard, and while that’s true, teams don’t always have to have a high draft pick to get results, and Lindbom is a great example.
Lindbom was drafted with the third-to-last pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, and like most seventh-round picks, expectations don’t even exist, to be honest. At best, he could be a good AHL goalie, but Lindbom has taken a different route and is on track to be an NHL goalie someday.
Lindbom is undersized for a goalie at only 6-foot-1 but has climbed the ranks and made good impressions everywhere he’s played, and that’s been the case with the Silver Knights. This season, he has a 13-9-1 record, along with a 2.64 goals-against average (GAA) and a .916 save percentage.
With Adin Hill in command of the net for the foreseeable future, Lindbom could develop into a perfect backup goalie for the Golden Knights in the years to come.
Golden Knights Slowly Building Prospect Pool
While the Golden Knights don’t have the next Bedard or Macklin Celebrini, it’s worth noting that they don’t have a completely depleted prospect pool. They still have last year’s first-round pick in Trevor Connelly and others in the pipeline, including, of course, the three listed above. While it certainly hasn’t been a priority in recent seasons, the Golden Knights are slowly but surely building their prospect pool, even if it’s not the first area of concern for McCrimmon.
