Tomas Nosek – Forward
Tomas Nosek has been a useful addition to Vegas’ bottom-six forward group since being acquired in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.
He is more of an SUV rather than a Rolls Royce – dependable and resilient as opposed to flashy and elegant.
Nosek is a no thrills type of player although he can come up clutch when needed, as demonstrated in the 2017-18 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The left-wing was brilliant down the stretch for the Knights last year and finished 17-18 with 15 points (seven goals, eight assists) and he was expected to take a step forward this season.
But Nosek was unable to take a giant leap forward and he could only increase his points total by two points (17) in 68 games.
At 6’3″ and weighing in at 210 lb, Nosek is your typical fourth line grinder and he won’t be in line for a huge payday given his role. He could well go down the route of arbitration but, given Vegas’ salary cap issues, it could make more sense for player and team to part company altogether.
Nikita Gusev – Forward
Considered by many within the Vegas Golden Knights’ organization as one of the jewels in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, Gusev is considered an elite prospect who can make a big impact for this team for years to come.
Yet to make his NHL debut, Gusev was brought over to Vegas in April 2019 in order to burn the final year of his entry-level deal, with the player giving back bonuses and contract incentives to SKA St. Petersburg in a bid to get to the NHL quicker.
That should give you a sure fire sign that the Golden Knights will pen Gusev to a long-term deal either before or when he becomes a restricted free agent on July, 1, and he should be an interesting story to watch unfold during training camp.
The 26-year-old left-wing, who was acquired from Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a second round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and a fourth round selection in the 2018 NHL Draft, led the KHL in points with 82 (17 goals, 65 assists) this year for SKA, 13 points ahead of the player with the second-most points, the largest margin since the Dallas Stars’ Alexander Radulov in 2010-11.
Jimmy Schuldt – Defenseman
Schuldt was hot property when he left St. Cloud University in April with a reported 29 other NHL teams chasing his signature.
However, the ultra talented blueliner opted to sign a one-year entry level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights, going on to make his NHL debut against the LA Kings in the regular season finale.
He marked his introduction to the big time in style too, getting a primary assist on Valentin Zykov’s goal with a sublime dish.
Schuldt was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award and he led all defensemen in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) with 35 points (ten goals, 25 assists) to help lead the Huskies to a regular-season conference title.
Schuldt, who never missed a game in his collegiate career and was the only player to be a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in both 2017-18 and 2018-19, is highly-rated by the Vegas brass and should be awarded a long-term deal this summer.
He adds to the glut of young studs on the blueline that the Knights have in the system and he could get more of an opportunity to shine in the NHL in 2019-20.