Vegas Golden Knights: Young studs who could win a roster spot

EDMONTON, AB – APRIL 05: Zach Whitecloud #2 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on April 5, 2018 in Edmonton, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

Every team in the NHL will be looking to improve their rosters this offseason, although the Vegas Golden Knights will be limited when it comes to going out and acquiring fresh talent.

It is no secret that the Vegas Golden Knights have their fair share of salary cap issues to contend with and that will certainly impact them this summer when it comes to bolstering their team.

However, there is no need to panic because the Knights have done an excellent job of flooding their farm system with a plethora of highly-talented young studs who are primed and ready to make the leap to the NHL.

So, with that in mind, we’ve taken a look at a handful of prospects who are most likely to impress in training camp and win a roster spot for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019-20…

VANCOUVER, BC – DECEMBER 27: Cody Glass #8 of Canada in Group A hockey action of the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship action against Switzerland on December, 27, 2018 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)

Cody Glass – Forward

Whatever Cody Glass goes on to achieve in his career, he will forever go down in history as being the first-ever draft pick in the history of the Vegas Golden Knights having been selected sixth overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.

Glass is a composed two-way center known for his ability to move the puck with speed and precision, and his playmaking abilities are also second to none.

He has an extremely high hockey IQ and can transition up the ice in the blink of an eye, while being able to create chances for his teammates at will.

In addition to his offensive skills, Glass can also excel in the defensive zone and has a knack of getting his stick down on the ice at just the right time to break up plays, as well as having a burning desire to get stuck in on the forecheck.

Glass has scored six goals in 13 games for the Chicago Wolves, including potting the game-winner against Iowa in the Calder Cup Playoffs recently. He seems perfectly suited to the modern day NHL and will be an interesting storyline to watch develop during training camp.

Pressed right up against the salary cap, Vegas could look to trade away Cody Eakin this summer and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is set to become a free agent, which could well open the door for Glass to show what he can do on the biggest stage.

LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 6: Jimmy Schuldt #4 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck with pressure from Austin Wagner #51 of the Los Angeles Kings during Schuldt’s NHL debut in the second period of the game at STAPLES Center on April 6, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NHLI via Getty Images)

Jimmy Schuldt – Defenseman

Jimmy Schuldt is an absolute stud and 29 other NHL teams were reported to be chasing his signature prior to him signing an entry-level contract with the Knights after leaving St. Cloud University in April.

Schuldt made his NHL debut against the LA Kings on April 6, and marked it in style with a sublime primary helper on Valentin Zykov’s goal.

The 23-year-old was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2018-19 having led all National Collegiate Hockey defensemen with 35 points (ten goals, 25 assists) – he was also the only player to be a finalist for the honour in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

He showed enough in that regular season finale against the Kings to suggest that he’s ready for the NHL, and he will be given training camp and preseason to win a full-time roster spot with the Knights.