What to watch as Golden Knights’ rookie camp begins

The longest summer in Golden Knights’ history is nearly over.

Players are returning to Las Vegas. Skates are hitting the ice at City National Arena. And Wednesday, a week before the main roster reports for medical and fitness testing, the Knights’ rookie camp opened with 17 forwards, nine defensemen and two goaltenders.

The group will practice once in a closed-to-the-public session Thursday before traveling to the Rookie Faceoff Tournament in San Jose, California. The Knights will play Arizona at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Los Angeles at 2 p.m. Saturday and Anaheim at 12:30 p.m. Monday. Preparations for their Oct. 11 opener will begin in earnest soon after.

The Knights don’t have many spots available for rookie camp participants to crack their opening-night lineup. But here are three things to watch:

1. Will Korczak keep it up?

Defenseman Kaedan Korczak was a clear standout at the Knights’ development camp. A repeat performance this week should earn the 21-year-old a long look once the full team gets together.

Korczak isn’t a flashy player — he had only two goals and 14 points in 47 games last season as an American Hockey League rookie — but he’s calm on the puck, a good skater and strong passer.

The 2019 second-round pick also worked to gain strength this summer to defend better at the pro level. Silver Knights coach Manny Viveiros said at development camp Korczak added 10 pounds of muscle.

If Korczak shines again in the tournament, he probably will get plenty of opportunities to prove himself in main camp against older competition. He made his NHL debut last season and could position himself for more playing time with defenseman Dylan Coghlan now in Carolina.

“Main goal is to play here with the big club,” Korczak said in July.

2. Can Cormier, Sapovaliv build off World Juniors?

Two prominent prospects had strong runs at the World Junior Championship in August, the annual under-20 international tournament.

Defenseman Lukas Cormier, a 2020 third-round pick, won gold with Canada. He had one goal and four assists in seven games while averaging 17:14 of ice time, the sixth-most on the team and fourth-most among defensemen. The 20-year-old did that after being named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s defenseman of the year for the second straight time, so he should be ready to hit the ground running as a professional.

“I think I took a big step in my defensive game last year,” Cormier said in July. “That was a big focus for me.”

Center Matyas Sapovaliv, a 2022 second-round pick, was a key member of the surprise team of the tournament: Czechia. He had two goals in seven games and was second on the team with a plus-four rating. He scored the game-winning goal in the fourth-place finisher’s surprising 4-2 quarterfinal upset of the U.S. on Aug. 17.

That should help Sapovaliv skate with confidence in camp before he returns to his junior team, the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit.

3. Can young forwards show growth?

Knights prospects Brendan Brisson and Ivan Morozov flashed at development camp. They also showed they have room for improvement before seizing an NHL job.

Brisson, a 2021 first-round pick, has impressive hands, strong passing skills and a howitzer of a one-timer. General manager Kelly McCrimmon said “it’s almost impossible to give him a bad pass.” But Brisson showed his decision-making can still improve as he advances to higher levels of hockey. The former Michigan standout can prove he’s progressed in that area this weekend.

The same goes for Morozov, a 2018 second-round pick. He’s logged plenty of time as a professional in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League. Adjusting to the NHL and living in North America could still take time.

“A lot of this is brand new for him,” Knights director of player development Wil Nichol said in July.

Morozov should look more settled his second Knights’ camp. If he is, he can start to push for playing time at some point this season.

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