Vegas Golden Knights: Cody Glass ready to take the next step

Cody Glass has risen to the occasion at every single level he’s played at in his blossoming career, and he’s now ready to make the leap to the NHL with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Glass, who will forever go down in history as the first-ever draft pick in Vegas Golden Knights history, is the most elite talent currently in the franchise’s farm system and he’s projected to eventually morph into a high-end top six forward in the NHL.

A two-way forward known for his playmaking abilities, reliable play in both zones, excellent puck-moving qualities and being a pest on the fore-check, Glass is ranked as one of the best prospects in the NHL and it seems to be a case of sooner rather than later when it comes to the center cracking the big leagues.

And it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who follows the Golden Knights if Glass were to make the leap to the NHL in 2019-20, given that he has absolutely dominated at every single level he’s played at. He has outclassed his opposition thus far and he’s now primed and ready for a bigger challenge.

With a stunning 292 points (94 goals, 198 assists) in 239 games for the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL, Glass was rewarded with a call-up to the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves and he paid that faith back in emphatic fashion.

Going on a tear down the stretch, the talented 20-year-old tallied five points (three goals, two assists) in six games for the Wolves, before elevating his play to an elite level on the biggest stage in the Calder Cup Playoffs with seven goals and eight assists for 15 points in 22 games.

The proof is very much in the pudding when it comes to knowing that Glass deserves a shot at showing he’s ready to test his skills against some of the best players in the world, and the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft knows it is down to him to impress the coaching staff over the coming weeks, as he told nhl.com/goldenknights.

“Playing at the NHL level is just a different pace. Once you get at that pace it’s easy to get used to the style of play, but this summer is going to be important for me. I’m looking forward to making the NHL team so it’s going to be a fun summer.”

As already mentioned, Glass was dominant in the postseason for the Wolves as they made a superb run all the way to the Calder Cup Finals, only to be defeated by the Charlotte Checkers in five games. Despite experiencing his first taste of the AHL and the playoffs, Glass thrived on the big stage and, again speaking to nhl.com/goldenknights, he relished the experience.

“It was a good first taste of pro and I felt like I did really well up there. As soon as I got there everybody was super good to me. The coaching staff and players as well. It was a really good playoff run and I wouldn’t want to do it with other guys, that’s for sure. You’re going to take a short summer whenever you can. When you make it to the Finals, it’s something special. Obviously, you want to make it and win it, but we had a real good group over there.”

Glass is back to work this week with 2019 Rookie Camp set to open on Thursday, Sep, 5, before heading to California for the Anaheim Rookie Faceoff tournament which will run between Sep, 7-10. And, in the final part of his interview with nhl.com/goldenknights, the rookie said that he can’t wait to get going.

“The hockey community is unbelievable here. From my first Development Camp to now it’s a huge change. The atmosphere is a lot different and you just see how the community loves the Vegas Golden Knights. As a prospect that’s something you love to see and look forward to getting into the organization.”

There is no doubt that Glass possesses both the skill-set and the mentality needed to truly flourish in the NHL, and it will be fascinating to see how he tackles the preseason in order to try and crack the 2019-20 opening night roster for the Vegas Golden Knights.

He is a true star in the making and this year could be the start of what will hopefully be a long and prestigious career in the NHL for Cody Glass, who has all the tools in the toolkit required to morph into an elite two-way center in the majors.