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.
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting all aspects of life, everything in hockey has been shut down. The CHL has canceled the remainder of their year, including the Memorial Cup, the NCAA has stopped all of their playoff tournaments, and the KHL has officially closed their doors on the season.
While this looks to be the final report of the 2019-20 campaign, the Golden Knights cupboard is stocked full of potential. We’ll take a look at the season that was for each prospect and where they will be next year.
Here’s this month’s top-10.
Top-10 Golden Knights Prospects
1. Peyton Krebs, Winnipeg Ice (Center)
- Draft Information: 2019 first round (17th overall)
- Previous Rank: 1
- 2019-20 Season Stats
This season was a roller coaster for Peyton Krebs. After suffering a scary Achillies injury last summer, he did not return to action until November. When he returned, he did not miss a beat, but suffered another injury that kept him out another two weeks towards the end of February.
While it is good for young skaters to play as much as they can to develop their skills, this break may help Krebs the most as he can rest up to properly heal and rehab his injuries to become a stronger player in the future. He will return to Winnipeg next season as he is not old enough to play in the AHL and be given an ample amount of ice time in all situations.
2. Jack Dugan, Providence College (Left Wing)
- Draft Information: 2017 fifth round (142nd overall)
- Previous Rank: 2
- 2019-20 Season Stats
The Golden Knights are looking to sign Jack Dugan, a Hobey Baker finalist, to a contract now that his NCAA season is over. David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review Journal quotes general manager Kelly McCrimmon saying, “We’ll have discussions with his representatives here at an appropriate point. It hasn’t been pressing because there’s no hockey being played. But those are conversations we’ll have here as we move along.”
Dugan wanted to become a dominant player before leaving school and he proved he was this season, leading the NCAA in points and assists. He will likely challenge for a spot in the Golden Knights lineup next season because of his skill and size. Also, he will have a small cap-hit after he signs his entry-level contract. which will be easy to fit under the cap bind Vegas is in.
3. Pavel Dorofeyev, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Left Wing)
- Draft Information: 2019 third round (79th overall)
- Previous Rank: 3
- 2019-20 Season Stats
While on paper it does not look as good, Pavel Dorofeyev is developing very nicely in Russia. He played the entire season in the KHL and scored four goals, two of them game-winners, while averaging only nine and a half minutes per game.
The KHL is primarily a man’s league, so when teenagers like Dorofeyev have the skill to compete, they still don’t get the opportunity. Keep your eyes on him next season as he continues to grow and earn that extra ice time and create more scoring opportunities.
4. Lucas Elvenes, Chicago Wolves (Center)
- Draft Information: 2017 fifth round (127th overall)
- Previous Rank: 4
- 2019-20 Season Stats
Lucas Elvenes’ first season in North America started off with a bang. He recorded four points in his first-ever AHL game and 20 total in his first 13 games, posting 16 points during an 11-game streak. He began to slow down in mid-November, but was still named to the All-Star Game in January.
All-in-all, he finished the season with 12 goals and 48 points in 59 games. He oozes playmaking abilities, but you could tell after the honeymoon phase wore off at the beginning of the season that he struggled with consistency. With the Golden Knights moving their AHL affiliate to Las Vegas, he’ll have a good mentor in William Karlsson to build his game around and potentially make his NHL debut in 2020-21.
5. Ivan Morozov, SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (Center)
- Draft Information: 2018 second round (34th overall)
- Previous Rank: 5
- 2019-20 Season Stats
In the KHL, most teenagers don’t see a lot of ice time unless they are special and Ivan Morozov is turning into that. He was called up after the World Juniors and never looked back. He is an asset to SKA because of his ability to win face-offs. He won more than 56 percent of his draws during the regular season and was almost at a 64-percent success rate during the first round of playoffs.
Because of his face-off prowess, Morozov is relied upon to win big draws and plays in tough situations. He is a complete 200-foot player with a good mix of smarts and skills. He finished the regular season with five goals and seven points in 16 games and was a plus-11.
He is under contract for another two seasons in Russia, but letting a teenager develop at home is never a bad thing as he gains experience in pro hockey.
6. Zach Whitecloud, Vegas Golden Knights (Defense)
- Draft Information: Undrafted
- Previous Rank: 6
- 2019-20 Season Stats
Zach Whitecloud has been a great addition to the Golden Knights blueline, adding some youthful energy to the lineup and stabilizing Vegas’ third pairing. His play has impressed the brass so much that he earned a two-year extension last week.
Management and coaches love his student mentality and he has some good company to learn from next season in Alec Martinez and Nate Schmidt. He should continue to contribute on the bottom pair next season and has the ability to step up if an injury occurs.
7. Dylan Coghlan, Chicago Wolves (Defense)
- Draft Information: Undrafted
- Previous Rank: 7
- 2019-20 Season Stats
While Dylan Coghlan could not repeat his rookie season (down 16 points from 40 to 24), he still managed to put up double digits in the goal column with 11. Wolves coach Rocky Thompson relied on him in all three zones as his No. 1 defender with the likes of Nic Hague and Whitecloud spending time with the big club.
The 22-year-old had promising rookie/training camps but faltered when he was sent down. Being the guy was good for his development though and he’ll have a longer offseason to develop and learn. He’ll likely play most of next season in the AHL again, but will be one of the first call-ups if someone gets hurt.
8. Kaedan Korczak, Kelowna Rockets (Defense)
- Draft Information: 2019 second round (41st overall)
- Previous Rank: 8
- 2019-20 Season Stats
Kaedan Korczak showed why the Golden Knights traded up to draft him in the second round. He posted career-high numbers in every offensive category while becoming the Rockets’ number one defenseman after Lassi Thomson went home to play in Finland.
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While Korczak really blossomed into an all-around defenseman this season, he will likely head back to Kelowna next season and develop his game even further.
9. Isaiah Saville, University of Nebraska-Omaha (Goalie)
- Draft Information: 2019 fifth round (135th overall)
- Previous Rank: 9
- 2019-20 Season Stats
Isaiah Saville did not end his freshman season on a high note, losing his final three starts. However, he showed plenty of promise during his first year at the NCAA level and made the USA World Junior team. He will return to Omaha next season and challenge for the starting role for Team USA at this year’s world junior tournament.
10. Marcus Kallionkieli, Brandon Wheat Kings (Left Wing)
- Draft Information: 2019 fifth round (139th overall)
- Previous Rank: Unranked
- 2019-20 Season Stats
Marcus Kallionkieli is one of the Golden Knights’ youngest prospects, as he just turned 19. Unfortunately, he suffered an injury during summer training and could not make his WHL debut until December.
Transitioning to a more talented league after missing three months of the season was a tough battle for him as he only scored a single goal and 10 assists in 24 games. He has the size and skill to become a dominant power forward, so after a full offseason of recovery and attending training camp with his teammates, he could be a sleeper for a big season in 2020-21.
