2:25 PM: As reported by The Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster, Martinez’s absence has been indeed been extended. The team has reportedly placed him on injured reserve, which could put Korczak in a position to push Brayden Pachal for some ice time as the team’s third-pairing right-shot defenseman.
2:20 PM: The Vegas Golden Knights have announced a series of roster moves, recalling forward Byron Froese and defenseman Kaedan Korczak from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights.
Additionally, the team has sent forward Sheldon Rempal back down to the AHL, just two days after calling him up.
These roster moves put Korczak and Froese in a position to make their season debuts in the NHL. Korczak, 21, was a second-round pick by Vegas at the 2019 draft. After spending a little over a year developing in the WHL, Korczak has stepped into the AHL and been a quality everyday piece of Henderson’s back end.
He got into an NHL game last year as the Golden Knights dealt with a rash of injuries, and is now back on an NHL roster with a chance to get some more game action. Veteran blueliner Alec Martinez didn’t play in yesterday’s game, so it’s possible that this recall is Vegas adding some reinforcements in case his absence gets extended.
In Froese, the Golden Knights have recalled a physical AHL veteran who has played well in Henderson. The 31-year-old has been a quality scorer at the AHL level for years and has even served as an AHL captain. He’ll be able to fill in a depth role in coach Bruce Cassidy’s lineup if he’s called upon.
To make room for these recalls, the team sent down Rempal, just after he made his NHL debut. The 27-year-old was an elite scorer in the AHL last year, scoring 69 points in just 55 games, and he’s been solid in Henderson this year as well.
He played just under 8 minutes in last night’s game, and without having registered a major positive impact he’ll head back down to the AHL.