(Photo Credit: SinBin.vegas Photographer Brandon Andreasen)

Following the World Junior tournament which was laden in Golden Knights prospects, six to be exact, we decided now was a good time to update the SinBin.vegas Golden Knights Prospect Rankings.

On this page we rank every Golden Knights prospect under the age of 23 including and add a paragraph of reasoning for each player each time the rankings are updated.

There are a total of 24 prospects ranked and a newcomer had slipped his way into the new Top 5. The biggest risers on the list are Lucas Elvenes who jumped six spots and Reid Duke who move up five.

To see the list in its entirety, click here.

For a little taste, here are players ranked 6-10.

T6) Zach Whitecloud (D)
Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on March 8th, 2018
Age: 22 (November 28, 1996)
Most Recent Team: Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Previous Ranking: #4

As somewhat of a veteran among the Wolves defense, at age 22, Whitecloud continues to look like the same player we’ve seen since he signed with Vegas. He’s good defensively with a little bit of offensive skill. He moved down on the list because of the way the Golden Knights treated him during the time when Nate Schmidt was out. Jake Bischoff made the roster over Whitecloud and Bischoff couldn’t get into a game. The more and more you see of Whitecloud the more you see a solid NHLer who just needs his breakthrough moment.

More on Whitecloud
9/12/18 – In the last rankings, he was declared the most pro-ready prospect, that honor has been taking from him by Erik Brannstrom. Whitecloud looks like he’s going to become a solid, safe, defensive option that could help an offensive-minded defensive partner thrive. Playing with Brannstrom, Whitecloud took care of the Golden Knights end while helping Brannstrom bring the puck forward and make plays. Think Deryk Engelland, but like 30 years younger. (Sorry Deryk)

7/28/18 – The most pro-ready prospect in the entire Golden Knights pool is Zach Whitecloud. He spent the final few weeks of the season with the Golden Knights and even played in an NHL game with Vegas in which he was +3 vs. Edmonton. In Development Camp he was physically the most ready player, but he also displayed great poise and leadership on the ice. When his time comes, and it may not necessarily be out of training camp, he’s not going to be a flashy player, but he will be reliable. He projects as a solid stay-at-home defenseman with potential upside offensively as he matures. His place near the top of the list is more based on how close he is to playing in the NHL than it is the likelihood he becomes a superstar player. That being said, it shouldn’t surprise anyone if Whitecloud puts together a long and successful NHL career.

 

T6) Dylan Coghlan (D)
Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on September 20, 2017
Age: 20 (February 19, 1998)
Most Recent Team:  Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Previous Ranking: #6

He’s become a stalwart in Rocky Thompson’s Wolves lineup. As a right-hand shot, he certainly has value to the Golden Knights eventually as they are short on RD’s. He’s in a very similar spot as Whitecloud, hence the tie, as there’s a bit of a logjam of defensemen and seemingly no room for any of them to ge through. Brannstrom, Hague, Whitecloud, Bischoff, and Coghlan all seem to deserve a look but maybe only one or two will be likely to get it this year after rosters expand. There are a lot of factors of who gets that shot first and when, and it’s not all to do with talent. I wouldn’t expect to see Coghlan in a VGK uniform any time soon.

More on Coghlan
9/12/18 – Coghlan had a bit of a quiet camp, but when he was paired with Hague he looked solid. Wasn’t sure if he would ever develop into an NHL prospect before, it may be safe to say he should get a chance at some point. As a right-handed defenseman, he’ll likely enter the mix next year and beyond. Keep an eye on this guy, he might be the undrafted steal of the 2017 class for Vegas.

7/28/18 – As an invitee to both 2017 Development Camp and Training Camp, Coghlan impressed and parlayed it into a contract before heading back to Kennewick, Washington for the WHL season. While there, he had a massive offensive year for a defenseman, putting up 63 points in 69 games. He’s going to have to get a bit better in his own end, which is part of the reason he was passed over in back-to-back drafts, but his offensive ability is exciting.

 

8) Ivan Morozov (F)
Acquired: 2018 Entry Draft, 2nd Round, #61 overall
Age: 18 (May 5, 2000)
Most Recent Team: SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
Previous Ranking: #10

The first real chance we’ve gotten to see Morozov was a good one. He looked very good at times as the 4th line center for Team Russia. His selection to this team was impressive in the first place as Russia historically does not like to choose 18-year-olds for their U20 team. However, Morozov helped make an impact and looks like a terrific 200-foot player. His backchecking was probably the most exciting part of his game as he constantly would come back into his own zone, break up a play and then get the puck moving forward. Still want to see a lot more of him, but don’t be surprised if he’s in the top 3 or 4 the next time I update this list.

More on Morozov
9/12/18 – Did not attend Rookie Camp

7/28/18 – Unable to attend Development Camp following the Draft, Morozov remains a bit of an unknown. However, he has recently signed a contract with SKA St. Petersburg (yeah, the Shippy one) and was selected with Vegas’ only pick in the top 75 of the 2018 Draft which indicates he’s highly regarded. He has quick hands and should be a strong two-way center if/when he makes it to the NHL. A trip to World Juniors would do well for him to move up this list where he probably belongs.

 

9) Lucas Elvenes (F)
Acquired: 2017 Entry Draft, 5th Round, #127 overall
Age: 18 (August 18, 1999)
Most Recent Team: Rogle BK (SHL)
Previous Ranking: #15

There is obviously an inherent bias towards guys directly after World Juniors, but I will admit, I went in with a keen eye on Elvenes looking for one thing, playmaking at even-strength. Finally, I saw it and I saw it in bunches while Sweden was still in the tournament. He looked dangerous almost every time he was on the ice and with a maligned Swedish forward group he was probably the second or third best forward on the team. Playing in the SHL appears to have him looking for the puck a bit more and becoming more active in the play. I’m still not 100% sold this is an NHL prospect, but he’s a lot closer now than I thought four months ago.

More on Elvenes
9/12/18 – Elvenes has been flying up the charts on prospect ranking charts all over the place, but not here. He moves up a bit because he showed out very well on the Golden Knights power play, but at 5-on-5 he continued to be invisible. In practice he looked like he was primed to go out and have a huge impact on the games, then he didn’t. Not even close to time to give up in him, but he’s got to figure out the even strength on the small ice.

7/28/18 – A member of Team Sweden for the second consecutive World Junior Summer Showcase, Elvenes needs to build on his last international appearance. He put up four assists and a goal in two games last year with the Swedish U20 team but his game hasn’t translated on the North American ice at Development Camp. He didn’t flash much at all during the scrimmages either year. Playing on the smaller ice may be a factor.

 

10) Reid Duke (F)
Acquired: Signed as Free Agent on March 6, 2017
Age: 22 (January 28, 1996)
Most Recent Team: Chicago Wolves (AHL)
Previous Ranking: #14

This massive jump up the rankings has almost everything to do with the call-up he received from the Golden Knights. Of course, he didn’t end up in an actual game, but as a 22-year-old getting the call after playing in the AHL goes a long way. He’s been very good with the Wolves and looked like he belonged in practice with VGK. When they first signed Duke I thought, well this is cute but there’s no way this guy ever plays in the NHL. He’s slowly won me (and seemingly the organization) over and I’ll now say the exact opposite, I’d be stunned if he doesn’t play in the NHL.

More on Duke
9/12/18 – Like Kolesar, Duke is expected to be a bit better than the rookies due to his age. However, there were times he appeared to be playing at a different speed than everyone else out there. That’s not necessarily a part of Duke’s game we’ve seen before. He felt in control of the game most of the time he was on the ice and definitely made his linemates better. Still a bit of a longshot to get a chance with the stacked VGK forward group, but maybe one day the “First Knight” will break through.

7/28/18 – Forever the answer to the trivia question, the first Golden Knight is back from the shoulder injury which kept him out a majority of last season. Duke took an off-ice leadership role at Development Camp but the on-ice success was missing. As a 22-year-old playing with 18 and 19-year-olds Duke was expected to stand out in a big way. He didn’t. He went scoreless in 14 games with the Chicago Wolves after returning from injury. All this being said, Duke has had his downs in his career and he’s always seemed to rebound. Probably higher on this list than he should be at the moment, there’s just something about this guy that makes it feel like he’s eventually going to break through.

 

For the rest of the list, click here.