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Vegas Golden Knights Report Card: Tomas Hyka

By Andrew Steele-Davis

GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 21: Tomas Hyka #38 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck as Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Arizona Coyotes defends during the first period at Gila River Arena on November 21, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - NOVEMBER 21: Tomas Hyka #38 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck as Oliver Ekman-Larsson #23 of the Arizona Coyotes defends during the first period at Gila River Arena on November 21, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 16: Tomas Hyka #38 of the Vegas Golden Knights shoots the puck during the first period against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena on November 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – NOVEMBER 16: Tomas Hyka #38 of the Vegas Golden Knights shoots the puck during the first period against the St. Louis Blues at T-Mobile Arena on November 16, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Tomas Hyka was another role player who split his time between the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL and with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL throughout 2018-19.

Tomas Hyka: Grade D

Our 2018-19 Vegas Golden Knights Report Cards return today as we turn our focus on Tomas Hyka, who was only given a brief taste of the NHL last year before going on to play a big part in Chicago’s run to the Calder Cup Finals.

His Season

After posting one goal and two assists for three points in 10 games for the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18, in addition to totalling 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists) in 50 games for the Chicago Wolves in the AHL, Tomas Hyka was signed to a one-year, $650,000 deal on May, 31, 2018.

A standout from the Knights’ inaugural training camp, Hyka in his first year in Sin City showed flashes of his offensive prowess and his ability to dish sublime passes to his team-mates. He was able to produce both of those qualities on a consistent basis in the minors, but the jury was out on whether or not he could truly thrive in the NHL.

He began 2018-19 in the AHL with Chicago, where he recorded three assists in two games, but was soon called up to the big leagues on Oct, 11, 2018. The right wing added an offensive punch to a Golden Knights team that had started the year 2-4-0 and hadn’t scored more than two goals in a game.

The 171st overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings was used on the power play by the Knights and even spent some time on the second line with Erik Haula and Max Pacioretty. Hyka injected some fresh legs into a lagging Vegas attack and presented Head Coach Gerard Gallant with a different and intriguing offensive weapon.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 13: Tomas Hyka #38 of the Vegas Golden Knights looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 13, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 13: Tomas Hyka #38 of the Vegas Golden Knights looks on against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 13, 2018 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) /

However, and just like the year before, Hyka couldn’t stick in the NHL and he ended up being sent back down to the AHL after failing to make much of an impact on a team that struggled for chunks of the first-half of the season.

Hyka finished 2018-19 with one goal and three assists for four points in 17 NHL regular season games, posting two penalty minutes and a plus/minus rating of -2. And it proved to be the forward’s last taste of NHL action for a while.

But, as has become a habit, Hyka went down and thrived in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves and was a big part of their deep postseason run. He finished the regular season with 16 goals and 24 assists for 40 points in 43 games with a plus/minus of +13.

He was just as deadly in the playoffs, tallying three goals and 12 assists for 15 points in 22 postseason outings as the Wolves were eventually defeated by the Charlotte Checkers in Game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals.

Hyka’s prowess in the AHL was clear for everyone to see but he decided to take a break from North America following the conclusion of 2018-19, opting instead to sign with KHL outfit Traktor Chelyabinsk for 2019-20.

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