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Vegas Golden Knights Sign Jordan Gustafson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Vegas Golden Knights announce they have come to an agreement on a three-year, entry-level contract with forward Jordan Gustafson. Gustafson was originally drafted 79th overall by the Golden Knights in the 2022 NHL Draft and is currently playing for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the Western Hockey League.

Although he is still only 19 years old, Gustafson is now in his fourth season with the Thunderbirds, a major junior career that has been productive in more ways than one. In a total of 130 regular season games played for Seattle, Gustafson has scored 43 goals and 59 assists, while managing an extremely impressive +39 rating.

His best performance in the WHL playoffs came back in the 2021-22 season, as the fourth-seeded Thunderbirds went 12-7 en route to the WHL Finals, losing to the Edmonton Oil Kings in six games. During that run to the finals, Gustafson would score four goals, and assisted on 12, while carrying a +9 rating through the playoff stretch.

Not only has Gustafson shown that he can score at a respectable rate at the junior level, but he plays well in all three zones. Showcasing his skillset mostly in the neutral zone, Gustafson has shown the ability to be a very productive off-puck player throughout his career in the WHL.

Shea Theodore Week-To-Week After Successful Surgery

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The Vegas Golden Knights have announced that top defenseman Shea Theodore is out week-to-week after undergoing a successful surgery. The surgery addressed the upper-body injury that has held Theodore out since November 22nd, although no other specifics were shared.

Theodore was in the midst of a fantastic start to the season, netting four goals and 18 points in 20 games so far this year. That mark leads the Golden Knights’ defensemen in scoring, despite Theodore missing the team’s last three games. In fact, the team’s second-highest-scoring defender, Alex Pietrangelo, only has nine points this season – half of Theodore’s total. Theodore also leads the team’s blue line in xGF% (expected goals-for-percentage) and ranks third in CF% (corsi-for-percentage), speaking to the prowess he’s had on the offensive side of the puck this year.

Theodore’s hot start comes in the wake of an impressive 2022-23 season, where the defenseman netted 41 points in 55 games, or 0.75 points per game. That was the second-highest point-per-game pace of Theodore’s career, only matched by the 42 points he scored in 53 games in the 2020-21 season. He has totaled 470 NHL games through his nine-year career, scoring 70 goals and 282 points. 417 of these games have come with Vegas, who took him from the Anaheim Ducks in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

Vegas is currently rostering ten different defenders, with Theodore and Daniil Miromanov on the team’s injured reserve, Alec Martinez currently day-to-day with injury and scratched, and Brayden Pachal serving as the healthy extra defenseman. Pachal slotted into the lineup while Zach Whitecloud was out with injury, playing in 13 games and recording one point.

Evening Notes: Zadorov, Giordano, Hyman

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes is reporting that there remains a lot of interest in Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov. Among the teams interested are the Dallas Stars, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, and fresh off their cap-clearing trade, the Vancouver Canucks.

Zadorov requested a trade a few weeks ago and at the time his agent Dan Milstein had hoped for a quick resolution although one has yet to be reached. Trades have proven difficult this season due to so many teams being within a million dollars of the NHL salary cap ceiling. The Flames have reportedly told Zadorov that they are willing to move him but will be patient in the process as they wait for the right deal to come along.

Zadorov has a goal and five assists in 21 games so far this season while averaging over 18 minutes a night in ice time.

In other evening notes:

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that defenseman Mark Giordano will not return to tonight’s game due to an upper-body injury. It is unclear when Giordano sustained the injury as he had a shot on goal during his final shift and then remained on the ice until the Florida Panthers scored their first goal. The Maple Leafs’ defense core has been decimated by injuries which has forced Giordano to play in an elevated role after starting the season on the third pairing. The 40-year-old has a goal and four assists in 20 games this season and has an average 18:28 of ice time per game.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have announced that forward Zach Hyman won’t dress for tonight’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights due to an undisclosed illness. Hyman was a full participant in the team’s morning skate today taking his usual spot on the team’s top line but was not well enough to play this evening. Mattias Janmark was elevated into Hyman’s role alongside Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins which also opened a spot for Sam Gagner to be reinserted into the lineup. Hyman has been one of the Oilers’ most consistent players with 12 goals and 10 assists in 20 games this season.

Golden Knights Sign Ben Hemmerling To Entry-Level Contract

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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed forward prospect Ben Hemmerling to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. A natural right-winger, Hemmerling will remain on loan to the WHL’s Everett Silvertips for the remainder of the season, meaning the contract will likely slide to 2024-25. His deal would then break down as follows, per PuckPedia:

2023-24: $70K signing bonus
2024-25: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K minors salary,
2025-26: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K minors salary, $67.5K signing bonus
2026-27: $775K NHL salary, $82.5K minors salary

Hemmerling, 19, was selected by the Golden Knights in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. Some had viewed him as a potential selection as early as the third round, considering his good offensive production with Everett during the prior season. Elite Prospects was not optimistic about his NHL future in a 2022 scouting report, though, calling him a skilled but “inefficient” playmaker prone to costly turnovers. However, they did praise his physical game and his “proactive” defending style away from the puck.

Since then, Hemmerling’s stock hasn’t seen a meteoric rise, but it does appear he’s on his way to a pro career. Serving as a member of the Silvertips’ leadership team beginning in 2022-23, Hemmerling has notched over a point per game in junior play since his draft day and saw preseason action with the Golden Knights in September. After beginning this season with seven goals, 18 assists, and 25 points in 24 games for the Silvertips, an entry-level contract comes to avoid Hemmerling re-entering the draft next summer.

He will be a restricted free agent when his entry-level deal expires in 2027. Expect him to spend at least one season with the Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate in Henderson before looking at a potential NHL call-up.

Vegas Golden Knights Recall Kaedan Korczak

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The Vegas Golden Knights have recalled defenseman Kaedan Korczak from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. The move appears to be motivated by the fact that Vegas is currently missing two defensemen due to injury.

Alec Martinez is currently out day-to-day with an upper-body injury, while Shea Theodore is out with his own upper-body injury on an unclear timeline. The Golden Knights already roster eight defensemen, meaning they can still have a full unit of six blueliners with these two injuries.

But as Vegas begins a three-game road trip that will take them through Western Canada, it appears the team has decided it needs to carry a fully healthy seventh defenseman, which in this case would be Korczak.

Should Korczak get into the Golden Knights’ lineup during their road trip, he would be playing in relatively familiar surroundings. Korczak, a Saskatchewan native, played the entirety of his junior career with the Kelowna Rockets. As a result, he frequently played road games in all three of Edmonton, Vancouver, and Calgary.

A 22-year-old right-shot defenseman, the Golden Knights drafted Korczak 41st overall at the 2019 draft. He’s developed nicely for them, currently serving as a depth blueliner who plays heavy minutes at the AHL level and a more sheltered role when called upon by the big club. This season, he’s already played in seven games for the Golden Knights and tallied four points. He last played for Vegas in a November 5th loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

Injury Notes: Walman, Theodore, Martinez, Mahura

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Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde shared an update on defenseman Jake Walman’s injury, calling him day-to-day and questionable for the team’s Saturday night game. If Walman doesn’t play on Saturday, he’s likely to return when the team plays on Wednesday.

Walman has continued to perform well with the Detroit Red Wings, scoring eight points in 18 games this season – his second full year with the club. Walman has become the go-to partner for top defenseman Moritz Seider, with Walman spending 87 percent of his even-strength ice time next to the former Calder Trophy winner. They’ve accounted for an admirable 49.59 xGF% (expected goals-for percentage) and 49.8 CF% (Corsi-for percentage) when they’re on the ice togehter, speaking to their ability to control possession and scoring chances. Seider takes a small hit to both of those statistics when he plays with any other partner. Getting Walman back into the lineup helps a Red Wings lineup that hasn’t been too impacted by injuries get back to normal.

Other injury updates from around the league:

Injury Updates: Zary, Martinez, Avalanche

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Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury, according to a team announcement. He did not dress for the Flames’ loss to the Nashville Predators, though the day-to-day nature of the absence does leave a chance for him to return in time for the Flames’ contest tomorrow in Dallas.

The loss of Zary, 22, is a significant one for the Flames, as he’s quickly emerged as one of the team’s more gifted offensive players. In just nine games so far this season Zary has eight points, displaying a knack for finding his way onto the scoresheet. A 2020 first-round pick, Zary’s initial transition from WHL stardom to pro hockey was rocky, but after his 25-point AHL rookie season Zary scored 21 goals and 58 points there. He scored 10 points in just six AHL games so far this season, a performance that earned him his call-up to Calgary.

Some other injury updates from the Western Conference:

  • Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez missed yesterday’s overtime victory over the Dallas Stars due to a lower-body injury. Martinez’ vacated spot in the lineup next to Alex Pietrangelo was filled by Nicolas Hague, while Ben Hutton re-entered the lineup to fill Hague’s old role on the team’s bottom pairing next to Zach Whitecloud. Martinez is among Vegas’ most important defensemen, averaging nearly 20 minutes per night and over two minutes per night on the penalty kill.
  • Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told the media, including NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding, that forward Logan O’Connor has a lower-body injury and is out day-to-day. Additionally, forward Valeri Nichushkin left last night’s game to get stitches for his mouth but did end up returning to the contest. At the moment, O’Connor plays third-line minutes for the Avalanche on a line with Ross Colton and Miles Wood. Should he miss any time, physical spare forward Kurtis MacDermid could draw into the lineup, or they could place a player on injured reserve and recall a forward such as Ben Meyers. O’Connor, 27, has scored three goals and seven points in 17 games so far this season.

Golden Knights Activate Nicolas Hague From Injured Reserve

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As the team begins to take warm-ups in their Sunday night matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Vegas Golden Knights announce that defenseman Nicolas Hague has been activated off of the team’s injured reserve, and will play in tonight’s game.

Hague had been sidelined with a lower-body injury since the team’s October 30th game against the Montreal Canadiens. Although not a member of the original Golden Knights team that managed to make the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season in the league, Hague was the fourth-ever draft pick of Vegas, being selected 34th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft.

As one of the more unheralded members of the Golden Knight’s blue line, over the last three years, Hague has regularly averaged more than 18 minutes of ice time per night, as well as receiving regular minutes on Vegas’ penalty kill units.

Last season, in what has been the best of his career to date, Hague played in 81 games for the Golden Knights, scoring 17 points in total, while blocking 133 shots and throwing 117 assists. He also carried an above-average Corsi For % of 46.8%, and an On-Ice Save Percentage of 91.7%.

Getting off to one of the hottest starts in the league, the Golden Knights have cooled off a bit in Hague’s absence, going 4-3-1 in their last eight games, after starting off the season 9-0-1. With Hague back in the lineup, Vegas will now have added confidence in their ability to keep the puck out of their net.

Evening Notes: Lehkonen, Xhekaj, Meier

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Peter Baugh of The Athletic is reporting that Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen’s upper-body injury is a neck injury. Previous reports had the 28-year-old dealing with an upper-body injury, but Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told Baugh the news today. The early reports come with no timetable for a potential return, or any specifics about how severe the ailment is. The Avalanche have put Lehkonen on LTIR which means the earliest he can return is December 5th against the Anaheim Ducks.

Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now is reporting that Lehkonen is currently in a neck brace after suffering a scary fall in a game last week against the Seattle Kraken, which is certainly not a great sign. Lehkonen’s mother has also flown to Colorado which indicates that he could need assistance over the upcoming weeks. Lehkonen is a player who plays a lot of important minutes for the Avalanche in all types of situations. He has three goals and five assists so far this season in 12 games.

In other evening notes:

  • The Montreal Canadiens have announced that defenseman Arber Xhekaj left tonight’s game after suffering an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old suffered the apparent injury after taking a huge hit from Vegas Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev in the second period. Xhekaj appeared to be favoring his left shoulder as he left the ice, but the team has yet to comment on the nature of the injury. Xhekaj scored his first goal of the season earlier this week and has three points in 16 games for the Canadiens.
  • Star-Ledger reporter Ryan Novozinsky tweeted that New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters tonight that Devils forward Timo Meier will be out of the lineup on a short-term basis. What exactly that means remains to be seen but it is probably a safe bet that Meier won’t be in the lineup on Saturday night when the Devils are home to the New York Rangers. The 27-year-old is in his first full year with the Devils and has five goals and six assists in 14 games. He did not dress in tonight’s 5-2 Devils victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Pacific Notes: Golden Knights, Kraken, Laferriere

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Over the last two games, the Vegas Golden Knights have been without the trio of Chandler Stephenson, Nicolas Hague, and Nicolas Roy. Over that time, the league-leading Golden Knights have gone 1-1-0, losing to their division rival, Los Angeles Kings, last Wednesday.

In an update from practice today, Ben Gotz of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that none of the trio are to be expected back in the team’s game against the Washington Capitals tomorrow night, but issued assurances they could be back by the weekend. Of the three, Roy has had the longest absence, after being put on the team’s injured reserve on October 24th.

Of the three, Stephenson is the most important to get back into the lineup, as he remains on one of the best-value contracts in the NHL. On the last season of a four-year, $11MM contract signed with Vegas back in 2020, Stephenson has scored 53 goals and 121 assists over 224 games as a Golden Knight.

Other notes:

  • Some notable additions to the Seattle Kraken practice were Brandon Tanev and Jordan Eberle, who is now without a non-contact jersey, respectively (X Link). Eberle has gotten off to a relatively slow start with the Kraken this year, Eberle has scored four points in 13 games, coupled with a -8 rating already this season.
  • According to the AHL transaction log, young NHL enforcer, Alex Laferriere is back on the roster with Los Angeles (X Link). Primarily playing in the team’s bottom six over the course of the young season, Laferriere has scored two goals and one assist through 14 games.

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