Vegas Golden Knights: Krebs the highlight of Training Camp Roster

Kootenay Ice, Peyton Krebs #19 (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)
Kootenay Ice, Peyton Krebs #19 (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)

Peyton Krebs is the biggest surprise on the Vegas Golden Knights’ Training Camp Roster.

Following the announcement on Friday that the NHL and the NHLPA had ratified the Return To Play Plan, along with a new four-year CBA, Training Camps will open today for the Vegas Golden Knights and the 23 other teams set to resume the 2019-20 season.

As a result, franchises began to announce their Training Camp Rosters over the weekend and the Golden Knights revealed theirs earlier today.

Before we delve into the main highlights, let’s map out the full Training Camp Roster for the Vegas Golden Knights:

Forwards

Defensemen

Goaltenders

So, there you have it. That’s the 33-man roster the Golden Knights will open Training Camp with, although Peyton Krebs won’t be present on Monday due to the fact that the rookie has one more day of quarantine left to go.

Other than that, though, the Golden Knights are expecting full participation on Day 1 of Training Camp, although players have until 2 p.m. PT on Monday to opt out of the Return To Play Plan without incurring a penalty.

Speaking of Krebs, however, and there is no doubt that the talented forward’s inclusion is the biggest surprise of Vegas’ Training Camp Roster.

Selected with the 17th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Krebs fell lower than expected after suffering a slight torn Achilles during summer workouts.

But, after battling his way through the rehab process, Krebs began to show why other teams may regret passing him up after going on an absolute tear in the WHL prior to the sporting world going on lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 38 games for the Winnipeg Ice, Krebs put up 12 goals and 48 assists for 60 points with the C on his chest to remind everyone of his incredibly high ceiling.

And the rookie will now get his first taste of the big leagues with the Golden Knights at Training Camp, while also getting the opportunity to impress Head Coach Peter DeBoer for the first time.

It is a win-win situation for Krebs who will get some vital experience at the NHL level, while he could find himself packing his bags for Edmonton if he shows enough over the next couple of weeks.

Vegas Golden Knights players Tomas Nosek (L) #92 and Ryan Reaves #75 skate during the team's first practice.
Vegas Golden Knights players Tomas Nosek (L) #92 and Ryan Reaves #75 skate during the team’s first practice. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

With all 24 teams permitted to take 31 players, including goaltenders, to their respective Hub Cities for the postseason, the Golden Knights will have some tough decisions to make.

While the goaltending is sorted with Oscar Dansk joining stars Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner on the roster, Vegas will have to shed a couple of skaters before they head off to Edmonton on July 24.

Krebs would offer a high-end wildcard option so he could be a lock as long as he shines during Training Camp, so it could be a huge couple of weeks for the likes of Jake Bischoff, Dylan Coghlan, Jimmy Schuldt, Gage Quinney, Keegan Kolesar and Reid Duke.

Whatever the outcome, though, the battle for the remaining roster spots will provide a compelling storyline to watch for the duration of Training Camp.

And, after over 100 days of waiting, it will just be nice to have some proper hockey to talk about and dissect when the Vegas Golden Knights hit the ice for Day 1 of Training Camp on Monday.

Bring it on!