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Center depth not an issue for Golden Knights, GM says

Updated October 9, 2020 - 7:01 pm

The Golden Knights have seen centers Paul Stastny, Cody Eakin and Nick Cousins leave the organization since February.

But general manager Kelly McCrimmon isn’t sweating it. The Knights have William Karlsson, Chandler Stephenson, Nicolas Roy and Tomas Nosek returning, plus younger players who could emerge.

Cody Glass, the team’s first-ever draft pick, could spend more time at center in his second season. Peyton Krebs, the organization’s top prospect, also plays center.

“We’ve got good center depth,” McCrimmon said. “That played a part in the decision with Paul. We’ve got internal options.”

Eyes will be on Glass whenever the Knights begin training camp. The sixth overall pick in 2017 had an inconsistent rookie season with 12 points in 39 games and spent a lot of time at right wing.

McCrimmon said the organization has “extremely high hopes” for Glass. A move back to the middle could showcase the passing and playmaking ability that made him worthy of such a high pick.

Glass’ rookie season was ended by a knee injury in March, and he was not healthy enough to be part of the postseason taxi squad. The 21-year-old is expected to be ready for camp.

Beyond Glass, Stastny’s trade to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday could open the door for Stephenson to take on a bigger role. The 26-year-old, who signed a four-year contract Wednesday, played well when given opportunities in the top six last season.

Stephenson showed particular chemistry with left wing Max Pacioretty and right wing Mark Stone. His speed opened up ice for Stone to make plays with the puck and for Pacioretty to set up his lethal wrist shot.

The Knights outscored opponents 20-5 at five-on-five with the three on the ice.

“Chandler Stephenson is a player that came over and showed the ability to be a good center in the National Hockey League,” McCrimmon said. “Internally, there’s some people we feel are ready for more responsibility and bigger opportunities, which played a part in the decision that was made.”

Engelland unlikely to return

McCrimmon said free agent defenseman Deryk Engelland probably won’t play for the Knights next season.

Engelland was one of the early faces of the franchise after being selected in the expansion draft. He gave a speech at the first-ever home game after the Route 91 Harvest festival shooting and accepted the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl when the team won the Western Conference in its inaugural season.

“Deryk and I had a good discussion on a number of topics, and probably at this point there isn’t going to be an opportunity playing this year,” McCrimmon said.

Engelland, 38, saw his role diminish after the All-Star break. Rookie defenseman Zach Whitecloud was called up and became a regular, which often reduced Engelland to a healthy scratch. McCrimmon told Engelland he had trade interest around the deadline, but Engelland wanted to stay and try to win a Stanley Cup with the Knights.

Engelland was part of the playoff roster and stayed with the team in the bubble in Edmonton, Alberta. He did not play in the postseason.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.

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