2019 NHL Draft: Vegas Golden Knights struck gold with Peyton Krebs

Lady luck and the hockey gods were smiling down upon the Vegas Golden Knights tonight as they selected elite talent Peyton Krebs with the No.17 overall pick at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

In a first round that sprung a flurry of surprises after the opening two picks, the Vegas Golden Knights were handed the ultimate gift when they finally went on the clock.

And it was worth the wait as Krebs, a high-end playmaker and natural-born leader, fell nicely in the lap of the Golden Knights who accomplished their mission of drafting a stud forward.

The cupboard was pretty bare after Cody Glass when it came to offensive prospects in the farm system, but the Knights have now added a center to the depth chart with a very high ceiling.

There was shock all around when Krebs was still on the board at No.17, which you can put down to the young talent having torn his Achilles in June.

Prior to that rather unfortunate and ill-timed injury, Krebs was expected to be taken inside the top ten after being ranked 10th in the final NHL Central Scouting Bureau rankings for North American skaters and finding himself high up on most mock draft boards.

However, the rest of the league’s misfortune is Vegas’ gain and they will be hoping that their newest prospect is ready and raring to go for training camp.

Krebs is known for being a potent and consistent point producer and he enjoyed a sublime 2018-19 season, posting 19 goals and 49 assists for 68 points in 64 games for Kootenay Ice in the WHL.

He is a dominant force who possesses excellent hockey smarts, an aggressive compete level and he’s also recognised as one of the best passers in this year’s draft.

Not only can Krebs create and score goals, but he’s also responsible in the defensive zone and can be relied upon to kill penalties.

He’s a highly competitive defensive forward who boasts one hell of an offensive punch and he bolsters Vegas’ depth at center considerably.

Krebs has already put together one hell of a resume having been named the team MVP at the CHL Prospects Game, in addition to being named a Top 3 Player on the U18 World Junior Canada team in 2018-19.

Not only did Krebs lead Kootenay in points this year, but he also achieved 18 multi-point games which is a remarkable feat in itself.

What would have impressed the Vegas front office too is Krebs’ leadership abilities with the 18-year-old wearing the C on his chest for both Kootenay and the Canada U18 team.

You couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for the Golden Knights tonight who have solved their lack of depth at the center position on the depth chart and then some.

When healthy, Krebs has the potential to be an elite playmaking forward for this team and you could be looking at a potent one-two punch of Cody Glass and Krebs one day, which is a scary thought for the rest of the NHL.

Sometimes you need a bit of luck on your side and the Vegas Golden Knights have certainly benefitted from that tonight after gaining one of the more talented offensive weapons in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

We will have much more reaction to the Vegas Golden Knights’ first round pick, in addition to looking ahead to Rounds two through seven, on Saturday morning.