Golden Knights make 2 key roster moves
The corner pieces have been found. The edges are in place.
The Golden Knights’ roster puzzle is almost complete ahead of the NHL’s deadline to submit initial 23-man rosters at 2 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday. The Knights have 25 players after sending defenseman Jake Bischoff and forward Keegan Kolesar to the American Hockey League on Monday and announcing defenseman Zach Whitecloud will begin the year on non-roster injured reserve.
Their remaining decisions involve whether right wing Alex Tuch (week to week, upper-body) and center Cody Eakin (day to day, upper-body) will start on IR, and if one or both don’t, who goes. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said Monday any players involved would be waiver exempt, meaning they would not have to be exposed to other teams.
“(That) gives us a little bit more flexibility as we head into opening day,” McCrimmon said.
Tuch has been ruled out for the season opener Wednesday against the San Jose Sharks, but McCrimmon said Eakin’s availability is “still to be determined.”
If Eakin can’t play, it opens the door for top prospect Cody Glass to remain with the team and potentially play second-line center between left wing Max Pacioretty and right wing Mark Stone. The three played together in Sunday’s preseason finale against the Sharks and Stone scored a goal.
“With Cody, he just continued improving,” McCrimmon said. “I think he’s earned a lot of respect from the veteran players.”
If Eakin is available, the Knights will need to determine whether Glass or 22-year-old center Nicolas Roy has a regular spot in the lineup. Otherwise their development may be better served with a larger role in the AHL.
The team could also send down one of its two remaining rookie defensemen, Nicolas Hague or Jimmy Schuldt. They both played Sunday, and Hague appeared on the top pair with veteran Brayden McNabb.
“I thought I played well,” Hague said after the game. “The rest is kind of out of my control now. We’ll see what happens. My legs felt good. I felt like I was moving pretty well. I had a couple shots and tried to get some pucks on net. (A 5-1 win is) obviously a great outcome. That was a lot of fun out there.”
Schuldt also impressed Sunday with a power-play goal and an assist. It was his first goal as a professional hockey player, but he didn’t ask for the puck. He said after the game he’ll wait for a “real” goal to make that request.
Whether he gets that chance sooner or later is up in the air. McCrimmon said the Knights’ roster will remain fluid even after Tuesday. A number of veterans and younger players who were sent to the minors had good camps, McCrimmon said, and could continue to push for jobs.
“The deadline tomorrow, all teams comply. But in a lot of respects it’s pretty artificial because it can change 24 hours later,” McCrimmon said. “We’ve seen that just over the past two seasons, and you see it around the NHL. But opening day is still opening day and being a part of that opening-day roster is pretty special for a first-year player.”
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Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.