Vegas Golden Knights: Pachal signed to entry-level contract and more cuts

There was some Friday news to digest as the Vegas Golden Knights announced that they had signed defenseman Brayden Pachal to an entry-level contract.

The prospect agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract after impressing throughout Training Camp and he adds to the glut of blueline talent the Vegas Golden Knights can boast in the farm system.

Following the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Golden Knights have stockpiled an abundance of riches when it comes to stud defenseman, and they now have a plethora of high-end blueliners in the farm system that could represent the future of this franchise with the likes of Kaedan Korczak and Nic Hague headlining the next generation of defensemen.

Pachal was invited to the Golden Knights 2019 Training Camp and was also present at the team’s Development Camp in June, catching the eye of both the coaching staff and the front office enough to earn an extended chance to impress.

The 20-year-old has recorded 89 points (25 goals, 64 assists) in 164 games for the Prince Albert Raiders of the WHL, including 15 goals and 36 assists for 51 points in 66 games with the “C” on his chest last year.

Pachal also tallied eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 23 playoff games for the Prince Albert Raiders in 2018-19, and he led all players in the WHL in plus/minus with a rating of +76. In addition, his exploits helped lead the Raiders to a WHL Championship and an appearance in the Memorial Cup.

The 6’0″ 201 lbs blueliner clearly packs a lot of talent and potential and he will now have the opportunity to take that next step and further hone his craft in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves this year.

Speaking of the Wolves, the Vegas Golden Knights also announced on Friday that they had made another round of cuts to further trim the fat from their Training Camp roster. After reassigning Jordan Kooy, Jiri Patera, Mason Primeau, Connor Corcoran, Xavier Bouchard and Kaedan Korczak to their junior teams, the Golden Knights announced another round of roster transactions yesterday:

• Paul Cotter (C)
• Lucas Elvenes (C)
• Ben Jones (C)
• Jake Leschyshyn (C)
• Jermaine Loewen (F)
• Tye McGinn (LW)
• Gage Quinney (C)
• Jonas Rondbjerg (LW/RW)
• Brayden Pachal (D)

All nine players have now been reassigned to Training Camp with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL and they will all be battling for roster spots in the minors and will hope to impress ahead of Development Camp next summer.

Paul Cotter and Jake Leschyshyn in particular impressed throughout the course of Development and Training Camp, and the centers have a real chance to make an impression with Chicago in the AHL, with the Wolves now boasting a loaded roster full of young and high-end talent.

Meanwhile, CapFriendly also reported that defensemen Jaycob Megna and Brett Lernout and forward Tyrell Goulbourne have been placed on waivers.

All three were signed to professional tryout contracts in the off-season but the trio failed to impress during Training Camp and it is no great shock that they are now on waivers, and it appears certain that their futures lay elsewhere.

October is edging ever closer and the Vegas Golden Knights are getting closer to finalizing their roster for 2019-20 and, with Head Coach Gerard Gallant confirming that the final two exhibition games will be a dress rehearsal for the regular season, expect more cuts in the coming days as the roster continues to take shape.