Vegas Golden Knights Prospects: Dugan, Morozov, Whitecloud, and More

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The Vegas Golden Knights Prospect Report is a monthly article that will offer 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, as well as mention the prospects who are trending up and down.

Related: Top 100 NHL Prospects – Midseason Update

The parameters for the list are as follows: they are considered a prospect if they are below the age of 25 and have fewer than 25 games played in the NHL.

Vegas Golden Knights Prospect Report Peyton Krebs Pavel Dorofeyev and Lucas Elvenes

In the last month, Nicolas Roy has graduated as a prospect. He has been filling in for injured bodies and with the Cody Eakin trade, he is now a staple on the Golden Knights’ fourth line. Also, a prospect from the start of the season has jumped back onto this list and is making an impact on the backend.

Here are this month’s top-10.

Top-10 Golden Knights Prospects

1. Peyton Krebs, Winnipeg Ice (Center)

In Krebs’ last nine games, he recorded four assists in the same night twice. The playmaking center is up to 41 helpers on the season in 34 games. He did not see the ice until mid-November because of a scary injury over the summer, but he has put that injury behind him.

Peyton Krebs Kootenay Ice
(Robert Murray/WHL) Kootenay Ice forward Peyton Krebs.

Since Krebs won’t be eligible for professional hockey for one more season, he likely won’t make his Golden Knights debut until 2021, but he will be worth the wait.

2. Jack Dugan, Providence College (Left Wing)

After winning one out of four games against the two worst teams in the Hockey East Conference over their previous two weekends, the Friars’ season is in jeopardy as they are down to eighth place. While Dugan would hate to see his season end like that, it would mean he could sign with the Golden Knights by mid-March.

Related: Vegas Golden Knights Prospects: Dorofeyev, Dugan, Roy, and More

The potential Hobey Baker winner doesn’t have anything left to prove as he is leading the NCAA in points (50) and assists (41). With the addition of Nick Cousins at the trade deadline, Dugan would start in the minors with Cody Glass and the Chicago Wolves as they push towards a playoff berth to get his feet wet in the pro game.

3. Pavel Dorofeyev, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Left Wing)

It is tough to produce points when you don’t receive ice time, and Dorofeyev has fallen victim to this circumstance. The 19-year-old does not play a ton as most KHL teams make their rookies pay their dues before getting ample playing time. He still practices hard and possesses a great shot so look for a breakout season from the winger next season.

4. Lucas Elvenes, Chicago Wolves (Center)

The trade deadline has passed and Elvenes is still the property of the Golden Knights. General manager Kelly McCrimmon and co. love his game and feel he can turn into the next William Karlsson.

Lucas Elvenes Hartford Wolf Pack
Lucas Elvenes, Hartford Wolf Pack (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

Even though his numbers have slowed down, he is still second in rookie assists and third in points. Look for him to make a big splash in training camp next season.

5. Ivan Morozov, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (Center)

Morozov’s February slowed down after six points in three games in late January. He has only registered one goal in the month, but his stats have impressed. Typically, a rookie only sees five or six minutes of ice per game in the KHL, but he has been averaging almost 13 minutes this season.

A big factor that goes into this is how dominant he is in the face-off circle and in his own zone. He is 56% at the dot and a plus-11 on the season. Morozov has the skill to be a threat offensively, but his strong 200-foot game will be the reason management wants him to play in North America.

6. Zach Whitecloud, Vegas Golden Knights (Defense)

At the beginning of the season, Whitecloud was on this top-10 list. However, an injury derailed his training camp as he lost the inside track to make the Golden Knights roster. After he returned, Whitecloud was sent down to the AHL to hone his skills and be relied upon in all situations.

Zach Whitecloud Chicago Wolves
Zach Whitecloud, Chicago Wolves (Jenae Anderson / The Hockey Writers)

After Peter DeBoer was hired as a midseason replacement, he wanted mobile defensemen who were committed to sacrificing their bodies to get in lanes and block shots. Whitecloud was called up at the beginning of February and has suited up for 11 games, rounding out the bottom pairing for the Golden Knights amid a season-long eight-game winning streak.

7. Dylan Coghlan, Chicago Wolves (Defense)

Coghlan has been one of the best players for the Wolves in the month of February. He lit the lamp four times to reach double digits again and put 31 shots on goal. He has found his confidence from his rookie season and wants to finish the season off on a high note and take the Wolves back to the playoffs.

8. Kaedan Korczak, Kelowna Rockets (Defense)

Korczak stays in the number eight slot this month, but he continues to impress. He has set career highs in every offensive category and has become a more complete defenseman. His penalty minutes are down and he is a plus player, taking on more responsibilities in the defensive zone.

Kaedan Korczak of the Kelowna Rockets
Kaedan Korczak of the Kelowna Rockets (Robert Murray/WHL)

He has good NHL size (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) and has learned to use that frame to knock his opponents off the puck and poke check with his long reach. Once he gets to the pro ranks, he will be an interesting player to watch as he has all the tools to become an NHL defenseman.

9. Isaiah Saville, University of Nebraska-Omaha (Goalie)

Over the month of February, Saville went 2-2 with one shutout. He earned a .934 save percentage and lowered his goals-against average from 2.98 to 2.83. With Malcolm Subban being traded for Robin Lehner, who will most likely receive a big contract on the free-agent market, that opens a spot in the crease next season.

While he is only a freshman, management will want him to keep developing at the collegiate level, but this leaves the battle for the backup role wide open going into next season.

10. Jimmy Schuldt, Chicago Wolves (Defense)

With the full-time emergence of Whitecloud, Schuldt has been passed by another defender on the depth chart. We can give him the benefit of the doubt as he is in his first professional season, but at age 24 and with younger players passing him each month, it looks like he may round out to be a career minor leaguer.