Vegas Golden Knights: Top 10 prospects entering 2019

The Vegas Golden Knights have built an impressive prospect pool in two seasons. Let’s take a look at their top 10 prospects after the 2019 draft.

Usually, it takes a while for NHL expansion teams to put together a competitive team and a strong prospect pool. The Vegas Golden Knights failed to get that memo, as they’ve done both. Even though they’ve already traded two top-notch prospects in Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom, their prospect pool is very solid.

Vegas has been a destination for younger players. They’ve taken chances in the draft and they’re already starting to pay off. Whether it’s as trade bait or as future players, the Golden Knights have a number of prospects who should give them value.

Before I begin, let me review my criteria. My definition of a “prospect” is pretty simple. Here are the requirements.

1. Must be younger than 25 years old as of October 1, 2019
2. No more than 25 NHL games in any season or 40 games over two seasons.
3. I tend to be biased towards upside when evaluating prospects.

Let me give you some quick examples. Jimmy Schuldt is a prospect (though he’s 24 years old, so he won’t be one not for long). Alex Tuch, though he is just 22 years old, is not one. Neither is Valentin Zykov, as he played 28 games in the NHL last season.

I’ll separate the goalies from the skaters, as it’s much harder to project goalies than skaters.

Goaltenders

1. Isaiah Saville

Acquired: 2019 fifth-round pick

Age: 18 (turns 19 in September)

Stats: 34 games, 1.90 GAA, .925 save percentage (Tri-City Storm, USHL)

Am I being a bit bold putting a late-round pick from 2019 as the Golden Knights goaltender? Yeah, probably. But you know what? I don’t care. Isaiah Saville has a ton of talent and did extremely well in the USHL. He put up better numbers there than Spencer Knight.

The most impressive thing about Saville’s game is his ability to take away angles from shooters. Combined with his impressive agility when moving from post to post, I think Saville’s got a legitimate shot at being Marc-Andre Fleury’s eventual replacement. He probably wouldn’t crack the top 10 if I evaluated him with the skaters.

2. Dylan Ferguson

Acquired: 2017 seventh-round pick

Age: 20 (turns 21 in September)

Stats: 49 games, 3.01 GAA, .908 save percentage, 5 playoff games, 3.29 GAA, .887 save percentage (Kamloops Blazers, WHL)

Dylan Ferguson can already say he’s played in an NHL game. He did so as a 19-year-old. It went about as well as expected – badly. Ferguson isn’t big, but he’s got above-average positioning and his athleticism is better than you think.

He’ll be getting some time in the AHL this season. The Golden Knights like him a lot. I don’t agree with that assessment, but I think Ferguson has the tools to be an NHL backup. At worst, he should be a solid depth goalie.

Honorable Mentions

These are all the guys I considered for the bottom spots but ultimately left out.

Nicolas Roy is probably the Golden Knights most NHL-ready forward prospect. He might even be their fourth-line center as soon as the start of this season. Roy’s ceiling is right around that since he’s likely never going to bring much to the table on offense. But his defense is impressive and he’s got size. He’s cheap too, which means a lot for Vegas right now.

Keegan Kolesar had a pretty decent season for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL. He has skill, but his sub-par skating has caused him to hit a wall in his development. That’s why I see his ceiling as a fourth-line forward. Kolesar’s calling card isn’t his defense, so that’s not going to help his chances there.

I haven’t seen much of Ivan Morozov, but from the very limited sample size I have on him, I like him. But I didn’t see enough of him to make a fair judgment about him. I’m going to make it a point to watch him more this season because he’s one of the more intriguing prospects in Russia.

If you want pure upside, look no further than Brandon Kruse. At 5’9″ and about 160 pounds, a good gust of wind could probably knock him over. But dang is he fun to watch. That said, he’s not a great skater and I don’t think his skill is good enough to overcome that. It’s hard to argue with his results, though. His build and style of play limit him to a scoring role.

Defenseman Peter Diliberatore was the last guy I left out of the top 10. If there was a “most improved prospect” award, he’d be the nominee for the Golden Knights. Diliberatore’s skating used to be mediocre at best, but now it’s good. His work in transition improved too and for a guy who’s 160 pounds soaking wet, he’s pretty good defensively. He can be played off the puck easily, though.

10. Jonas Rondbjerg

Acquired: 2017 third-round pick

Age: 20

Position: Left Wing/Right Wing

Stats: 45 games, 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points (Växjö Lakers HC, SHL)

Jonas Rondbjerg had a strong 2017-18 season, proving he belonged in the SHL with 11 points in 35 games. He also starred for Denmark in the World Juniors, putting up seven points in six games. Rondbjerg took a step back in 2018-19, posting just six points in 45 games in the SHL and two points at the World Juniors.

He’s heading to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL next season. A move to North America and the smaller rink could be good for him. Rondbjerg has a nice compete level and I still like his hockey IQ. His tools haven’t gotten the results you’d expect from him yet.

Rondbjerg is very good defensively and can cause havoc on the forecheck, which makes me think he could fit in nicely in the bottom six. I haven’t seen enough from him on offense to have much faith in him being more than that.

9. Kaedan Korczak

Acquired: 2019 second-round pick

Age: 18

Position: Defense

Stats: 68 points, 4 goals, 29 assists, 33 points (Kelowna Rockets, WHL)

I like Kaeden Korczak defensively. He’s very sound and has pretty good positioning for someone his age. Korczak’s quite mobile and at 6’2″, he’s got a good frame. He emerged as a go-to defenseman for the Kelowna Rockets.

That said, his lack of offense is a bit concerning. It significantly limits his upside. Korczak is nothing to write home about in transition and on offense, he’s a bit underwhelming. I think he’s got the tools to be a third-pairing defenseman in the NHL.

If paired with a strong offensive defenseman, maybe Korczak could be a second-pairing guy, but he’d have to be with someone who can drive possession.

8. Lucas Elvenes

Acquired: 2017 fifth-round pick

Age: 19 (turns 20 in August)

Position: Left Wing/Right Wing

Stats: 42 games, 3 goals, 17 assists, 20 points (Rögle BK, SHL)

After a very promising 2017-18 season, which saw Lucas Elvenes put up 16 points in 28 games in the SHL, along with 21 points in 22 games in Allsvenskan as a teenager, he’s hit a bit of a wall. 20 points in the SHL is nothing to sneeze at for a teenager, but it’s not a clear improvement over his previous season.

Elvenes has upside on offense, but it has yet to translate at the professional level. He should be heading to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Elvenes must learn how to use his hockey IQ and creativity to be more consistent as a playmaker. He did improve at five-on-five last season, so that’s a good sign. In order to be more than a bottom six forward, he’s going to have to be more consistent and visible.

7. Jack Dugan

Acquired: 2017 fifth-round pick

Age: 21

Position: Right Wing

Stats: 41 games, 10 goals, 29 assists, 39 points (Providence College, NCAA)

Jack Dugan has the tools to be a top-nine forward in the NHL. He’s got good size and great speed. Dugan’s skating is good as well. I like his playmaking, but his goal scoring needs to improve. He seemed reluctant to shoot the puck at Providence, but then again, that was his first year there.

I expected him to look very good at the Knights development camp and he didn’t disappoint. Dugan should have looked good, merely because he was one of the most mature prospects there. He’s never going to be much of a possession driver, but he could be a nice complementary player. I’d like to see him improve along the boards, as that would definitely help his chances of being a top-nine forward.

6. Zach Whitecloud

Acquired: Undrafted free agent (signed in 2018)

Age: 22 (turns 23 in November)

Position: Defense

Stats: 74 games, 6 goals, 22 assists, 28 points, 22 postseason games, 3 goals, 12 assists, 15 points (Chicago Wolves, AHL)

The Vegas Golden Knights have become a popular destination for college free agents. Zach Whitecloud is a great example of this. After signing with the Golden Knights in March of 2018, he was one of their best AHL defensemen for the 2018-19 season. Whitecloud was terrific in the postseason.

He’s a jack of all trades, master of none type of defenseman. Whitecloud’s got great mobility, but that’s about the only thing that stands out about him. He has very few weaknesses in his game, but also not that many strengths. Whitecloud is well-rounded and should be an NHL defenseman. He reminds me of a lesser version of Nate Schmidt.

5. Nic Hague

Acquired: 2017 second-round pick

Age: 20 (turns 21 in December)

Position: Defense

Stats: 75 games, 13 goals, 19 assists, 32 points, 22 postseason games, 4 goals, 7 assists, 11 points (Chicago Wolves, AHL)

It’s hard to separate Whitecloud and Nic Hague because they were a pairing together in the AHL. They were extremely effective. However, I like Hague a little bit more than Whitecloud, and let me explain why.

Hague’s offense gives him more of an upside than Whitecloud. His skill is noticeably better and he’s a very flashy player. Hague’s got all the tools to be an effective power-play quarterback. Whitecloud was a calming influence for him.

There are questions about his skating, but I think he’ll be fine. Hague isn’t as mobile as Whitecloud, but it has yet to be an issue for him. He’s got enough skill to make it work as long as you pair him with someone who can help him overcome his deficiencies.

You could flip Whitecloud and Hague in these rankings and I’d have no issues. I prefer Hague ever so slightly more because I think he’s the driver of that pairing and he’s also a little bit younger.

4. Jimmy Schuldt

Acquired: Undrafted free agent (Signed in 2019)

Age: 24

Position: Defenseman

Stats: 1 game, 1 assist (Vegas Golden Knights, NHL); 39 games, 10 goals, 25 assists, 35 points (St. Cloud State University, NCAA)

It’s easy to get excited about someone like Jimmy Schuldt, who was a Hobey Baker Finalist in 2019. He’s very solid in all three zones and can contribute on both ends of special teams. Schuldt is by far the most NHL-ready of the Golden Knights defensemen prospects.

So why he is only sixth on the list? Well, it’s because what you see in Schuldt right now is likely what you’re going to get for the rest of his career. Schuldt could carve out a niche as a special teams specialist. I see him as a second pairing defenseman, but again, his upside is a bit limited thanks to his age.

3. Pavel Dorofeyev

Acquired: 2019 third-round pick

Age: 18 (turns 19 in October)

Position: Left Wing/Right Wing

Stats: 19 games, 17 goals, 14 assists, 31 points (Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk, MHL)

In case you needed proof of how much I love upside, here’s Pavel Dorofeyev as the Golden Knights’ third-best prospect. He’s outstanding whenever he has the puck. Dorofeyev can make things happen with his speed, skill, and vision. He’s a wizard when he’s handling the puck.

That said, he’s a long-term project. His defense is a work in progress, though I saw growth there last season. Dorofeyev also looks more like a tennis player than a hockey player at 6’0″ and 163 pounds. That works fine for him in Russia, but I’m not so sure it’ll play well in North America.

If the Golden Knights are patient with him and work with him on his flaws while elevating his strengths, Dorofeyev has top-six potential. He could be a really good offensive weapon in the NHL if he learns how to use all of his tools.