LAS VEGAS – The Vegas Golden Knights finished the season with 93 points, tied for 15th in the overall league standings, and finished third in the Pacific Division. Last year Vegas had the league’s fifth highest point total with 109 and won the Pacific in their inaugural season.
This season the Knights were 13th in Goals For, 10th in Goals Against, 25th on the Power Play, 14th on the Power Play, and 14thin face-offs. Vegas was led on offense by Jonathan Marchessault who led the team with 25 goals and points with 59. Vegas hadfive players with 20 or more goals. Most of their forwards are locked into contracts through next season with the exception of the following unrestricted free agents: Brandon Pirri, Ryan Carpenter, and Pierre-Edouard Bellmare.
On defense, Nate Schmidt led the team in plus/minus (+22), Shea Theodore led all defenseman in goals with 12 and points with 37, and Colin Miller led the defense with 26 assists. Only Deryk Engelland is not signed into next season but the Las Vegas native isn’t expected to go anywhere.
In their system, Cody Glass, a center, is the team’s top prospect and could be in a Knights uniform as early as next season. Nikita Gusev was not drafted by Vegas but he is their #2 prospect behind Glass. Vegas didn’t have a first round pick last year but they did select Ivan Morozov in the second round.
Heading into this month’s NHL Entry Draft, Vegas has their own first and second round picks, three third round picks, a fourth round pick, three fifth round picks, but they are without a sixth or seventh round pick. VGK should probably address the blueline at the draft considering they select 17th overall, but their appears to be a more pressing need for a goaltender consider the ageless Marc-Andre Fleury will be retiring sooner than later. Malcolm Subban has been solid goalie and is heading into the prime of his career but he doesn’t appear to be a starting goaltender going forward.
The Knights have drafted three other goalies but none of them scream netminder-of-the-future. If there is ever a good reason to take a goaltender in the first round it might be this year. Spencer Knight is considered the only goaltender who will be taken in the first round and what better spot for him to be taken then for a team screaming for a goaltender just like him.
A product of the USA National Development program, Knight is a solid 6’ 3”, 197 pound top prospect who has committed to Boston College next season. The Vegas Golden Knights might want to strike gold now rather than down the road. PHN expects Vegas to make the following announcement later this month in Vancouver.
“With the 17th overall pick the Vegas Golden Knights are proud to select, from the USA National Development program, Spencer Knight.”
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