Every new hockey season is full of opportunity. Some players will be looking to top a career-best point total, while others are looking to make their NHL debuts. Last season five players made their NHL debuts with the Vegas Golden Knights. Cody Glass (39 games), Nicolas Hague (38), Jake Bischoff (4), Gage Quinney (3), and Keegan Kolesar (1) were the players who got their shot last season. Additionally, Zach Whitecloud only had one game of experience prior to his mid-season call up. This year could bring much of the same, with such a promising group of young players waiting in the wings.
Many things go into the decision to promote a minor league player. Injuries at the NHL level are the number one inhibitor. A dip in the play of a depth player and a desire to replace them, could also speed along a youngster’s development. Not to mention, exemplary play in the minor leagues could force a team into finding a spot for a surging player, on the big club.
How long they stick is a whole different question. Was the benched or demoted player getting punished, receiving a wake-up call? How long will an injury last? Will trades occur? The questions continue to build. Only one thing can guarantee a NHL roster spot and that is production. You score, you play. You add value, you play. Coaches just want to win, right?
Out of all the players who made their NHL debuts in Vegas last season, Glass arguably had the most successful one. That is no slight to a guy like Hague who was very solid and getting more comfortable by the shift, despite being saddled with two subpar defense partners. Glass was presented with more opportunity and he flashed the first-round talent he possesses. He also saw the need for some bulk, suffering a knee injury. By all accounts, he spent this past offseason putting on some muscle. He's been in Vegas, utilizing team facilities and doctors, looking to regain his roster spot and resume his profession ascent toward his first-round pedigree.
Glass missed significant time to the injury. As a part of his evolution, former Head Coach Gerard Gallant slid Glass to the wing, with a roster packed with centers. A major caveat of playing wing is having an unforgiving wall and plexiglass at your side. As Brayden McNabb displays all too well, defensemen love to greet wingers at the blue line and staple them to that wall. Glass came up on the wrong half of an eye-opening collision with Jay Bouwmeester.
If you’re a glass half full type - pun certainly intended - you tend to agree with promoting young, fast, talented players. Speed kills and the NHL has been moving in that direction for years. Pair that with the flat out creativity and skill possessed by these first-rounders and it’s hard to keep dynamic players down for seasoning, experience, and/or development.
Looking forward, there are a couple Henderson Silver Knights who could conceivably make the jump to the NHL if a spot became available. Having reliable players on the “Black Aces” will be imperative with a minuscule camp and shortened season on the horizon. Keep scrolling for the Golden Knights’ biggest call up candidates for the 2020 season.
Peyton Krebs:
Draft Position: 2019 - 1st round, 17th overall
Let’s get the obvious out there, Krebs is small, very small. In a 2019 media scrum discussing his Achilles injury, Krebs was the slightest of the bunch. His size could be a detriment and it will hinder him from sliding to the wing in a pinch. The Golden Knights have already crashed and burned in that regard with the similarly slight Cody Glass. Although there are Johnny Gaudreau types that succeed on the wing, it’s rare.
None of that goes to say that Krebs can’t crack the NHL. He has out of this world talent and has produced at all levels of play. He was included on the Black Aces during this past playoff run and for good reason; the kid can play. He will follow an ascent similar to that of Glass, hopefully missing the injury portion. In a normal scenario, Krebs is at least a season or two away, but with expanded rosters and the AHL starting late, Krebs might once again find himself as a Black Ace.
Path to a 2020 Debut: Krebs would need a few guys to underperform, have a huge camp, or benefit from the injury bug. In a creative move, he could slide right into Glass’ spot, if his injury woes resurface. They are two young men that project to play similar roles.
Lucas Elvenes:
Draft Position: 2017 - 5th round, 127th overall
Elvenes is far from a shoot-first player, recording a mere 70 shots on goal in his first AHL season. Even still, the youngster led the team with 48 points (12g, 36a) in his 59 games played. He burst onto the scene with a goal and three assists in his debut, setting the table for a tremendous professional debut. Elvenes exceeded expectations and placed himself front and center in terms of call up options. Can 2020 be the year Elvenes makes his NHL debut and just as successfully?
Path to a 2020 Debut: Ineffective bottom-six play or another season with a stagnant third line. Elvenes could be seen as a potential boost to the third scoring line if Alex Tuch struggles again. The Vegas Golden Knights need Tuch to regain his scoring touch and Elvenes’ distribution could help.
Jack Dugan:
Draft Position: 2017 - 5th round, 142nd overall
A player who can turn out to be a diamond in the rough, Dugan had much success following his draft year at the NCAA level with 91 points in 75 games at Providence University. Dugan was a standout with his vision of the ice, passing ability, and sneaky shot. He’s tracking to start the season inactive until the AHL season starts in February, but he has an outside shot to become a Black Ace and practice with the big club.
A shortened season cuts into his chances to crack the NHL this season, as the brass would likely prefer to see more than a month or two of professional tape before a recall. Dugan, like Glass could instantly boost a struggling Power Play, in the event he was called upon by Pete DeBoer and Co. This kid has scored everywhere he has played and has a bit of a mean streak to boot. He will be in the NHL, it’s just a matter of when.
Path to a 2020 Debut: Like Elvenes, Dugan's best chance of a call up comes if the third line doesn’t produce for the Golden Knights. He’s a winger that could make an impact in a position they are relatively thin at. This roster is packed with centers and not guys who are particularly comfortable on the half wall. He’d also be a boost to the PP in the event the units struggle or if the Golden Knights suffer an injury to one of their top-four winger.
Dylan Coghlan:
Draft Position: Undrafted
With Hague and Bischoff remaining in the way, Coghlan must make a massive impression on the coaches in camp, in order to crack this roster in 2020. While he is the most offensively gifted defenseman in the bunch - a need at the NHL level - his battle is surely uphill. Hague and Whitecloud both got considerable service time under their belts and Bischoff is looked at as a steady option on the back end.
Path to a 2020 Debut: An injury to either of the two Golden Knights PP quarterbacking defensemen could necessitate promoting the young, dynamic shooter. She’s Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo will man the blue line with the man advantage from the jump. Coghlan’s talent with the puck could come in handy, if the team needed to boost to a healthy, but stagnant PP. Special Teams woes are nothing new to the Golden Knights and the NHL as a whole and this hypothetical could very well become a reality.
As outlined previously, a number of factors go into these debuts, but every year there are at least one or two worth watching. This abbreviated season will be no different and might require more AHL support, with the challenges created by such a short training camp and/or preseason. The deeper the system, the better, for this go around.
Vegas Golden Knights Blogger • 
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