Vegas Golden Knights unveil their roster with more chips to fall.

McKeen's Hockey — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 16:19:24 +0000

The Vegas Golden Knights unveiled the first generation of a roster that will likely undergo many changes in the next few days. Rumours of pending trades abound as the NHL Draft gets underway in Chicago tomorrow night.

Marc-Andre Fleury becomes the biggest name on the roster, anchoring the team in net. James Neal brings his sniper’s touch and 238 NHL goals to lead the offense. He ranks 14^th in the NHL over the lasts six years with 165. There are other interesting acquisitions, with many likely acquired to be flipped in short order.

GM George McPhee has held all the cards so far, but the state of play remains in motion, with many chips left to fall. It is premature to analyze the Golden Knights today, so in the meantime here is their current roster.

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Depth Chart

LEFT WING	CENTER	RIGHT WING
Jonathan Marchessault	Vadim Shipachyov	James Neal
David Perron	Cody Eakin	Reilly Smith
William Carrier	William Karlsson	Teemu Pulkkinen
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare	Oscar Lindberg	Chris Thorburn

Brendan Leipsic	Erik Haula	Alex Tuch
Connor Brickley	Tomas Nosek	Tomas Hyka
Nikita Gusev	Reid Duke	David Clarkson
	Mikhail Grabovski

LEFT DEFENSE	RIGHT DEFENSE
Marc Methot	Colin Miller
Brayden McNabb	David Schlemko
Alexei Emelin	Trevor van Riemsdyk
Jason Garrison	Deryk Engelland

Jon Merrill	Nate Schmidt
Clayton Stoner	Shea Theodore
Griffin Reinhart	Luca Sbisa
Jake Bischoff

GOAL
Marc-Andre Fleury

Calvin Pickard
Jean-Francois Berube

PLAYER	POS	HT/WT	AGE	2016-17 STATS	GP	G	A	PTS	PIM
Reid Duke	C	6-0/195	21	Brandon (WHL)	59	37	34	71	81
Cody Eakin	C	5-11/190	26	Dallas (NHL)	60	3	9	12	49
Mikhail Grabovski	C	5-10/185	33	NY Islanders (NHL) - DNP Inj
Erik Haula	C	5-11/190	26	Minnesota (NHL)	72	15	11	26	28
William Karlsson	C	6-0/190	24	Columbus (NHL)	81	6	19	25	10
Oscar Lindberg	C	6-1/190	25	NY Rangers (NHL)	65	8	12	20	32
Tomas Nosek	C	6-2/210	25	Grand Rapids (AHL)	51	15	26	41	33
Vadim Shipachyov	C	6-0/190	30	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	50	26	50	76	22
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare	LW	6-0/195	32	Philadelphia (NHL)	82	4	4	8	20
Connor Brickley	LW	6-0/205	25	Charlotte (AHL)	69	15	11	26	57
William Carrier	LW	6-1/200	22	Buffalo (NHL)	41	5	3	8	21
Nikita Gusev	LW	5-9/165	25	SKA St. Petersburg (KHL)	57	24	47	71	8
Brendan Leipsic	LW	5-9/170	23	Toronto (AHL)	49	18	33	51	30
Jonathan Marchessault	LW	5-9/175	26	Florida (NHL)	75	30	21	51	38
David Perron	LW	6-0/195	29	St. Louis (NHL)	82	18	28	46	54
David Clarkson	RW	6-1/205	33	Columbus (NHL) - DNP Inj
Tomas Hyka	RW	5-11/170	24	Mlada Boleslav (Cze)	48	17	21	38	18
James Neal	RW	6-2/210	30	Nashville (NHL)	70	23	18	41	35
Teemu Pulkkinen	RW	5-11/190	25	Iowa (AHL)	47	18	18	36	36
Reilly Smith	RW	6-0/185	26	Florida (NHL)	80	15	22	37	17
Chris Thorburn	RW	6-3/225	34	Winnipeg (NHL)	64	3	1	4	95
Alex Tuch	RW	6-4/220	21	Iowa (AHL)	57	18	19	37	28
Jake Bischoff	D	6-1/195	23	Minnesota (B1G)	38	5	27	32	16
Alexei Emelin	D	6-1/220	31	Montreal (NHL)	76	2	8	10	71
Deryk Engelland	D	6-2/205	35	Calgary (NHL)	81	4	12	16	85
Jason Garrison	D	6-1/220	32	Tampa Bay (NHL)	70	1	8	9	14
Brayden McNabb	D	6-4/205	26	Los Angeles (NHL)	49	2	2	4	54
Jon Merrill	D	6-3/210	25	New Jersey (NHL)	51	1	5	6	24
Marc Methot	D	6-3/225	32	Ottawa (NHL)	68	0	12	12	24
Colin Miller	D	6-0/195	24	Boston (NHL)	61	6	7	13	55
Griffin Reinhart	D	6-4/215	23	Bakersfield (AHL)	54	7	14	21	42
Luca Sbisa	D	6-2/205	27	Vancouver (NHL)	82	2	11	13	40
David Schlemko	D	6-1/195	30	San Jose (NHL)	62	2	16	18	14
Nate Schmidt	D	6-0/195	26	Washington (NHL)	60	3	14	17	16
Clayton Stoner	D	6-3/225	32	Anaheim (NHL)	14	1	2	3	28
Shea Theodore	D	6-2/185	22	Anaheim (NHL)	34	2	7	9	28
Trevor van Riemsdyk	D	6-2/185	26	Chicago (NHL)	58	5	11	16	29
				2016-17 STATS	GP	W	L	GAA	SV%
Jean-Francois Berube	G	6-1/170	26	NY Islanders (NHL)	14	3	2	3.42	0.889
Marc-Andre Fleury	G	6-2/175	32	Pittsburgh (NHL)	38	18	10	3.02	0.909
Calvin Pickard	G	6-0/195	25	Colorado (NHL)	50	15	31	2.98	0.904

NHL Prospect Watch: New York Islanders

Ryan Wagman — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 15:49:13 +0000

As with the already previewed Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Islanders prospect pool is full to bursting with promising netminders. Looking at their 2012 draft, in which all seven selections were used on defencemen, one might think that the system strength lies along the blueline. Others might look at the four first rounders in the past two seasons all used on high end forwards from the CHL and assume that the team’s future strength is offensive. All of those onlookers would be correct. The fact is that the Brooklyn team has an astounding pipeline, and was ranked third behind only Winnipeg and Edmonton by Hockey Prospectus last summer.

For this article, we will not focus on forwards as we try to avoid the Canadian junior leagues which are already covered so thoroughly. The defenseman are not as strong as might at first appear, with Adam Pelech likely the only player taken in 2012 who might have a real future with the Islanders. We may touch on some other defensive prospects later, but goalies, seeing as how they have come from a wide variety of sources are fascinating and will make up the core of this article.

15 March 2016: New York Islanders goalie Jean-Francois Berube (30) makes a save during the third period. The Pittsburgh Penguins won 2-1 in a shootout against the New York Islanders at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire)

One of the prospects actually spent the majority of the season up in the NHL. JF Berube was acquired off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings a few days before the opening night of the current season, but managed to play in only five games for the Islanders as the top two spots on the depth chart were occupied by Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss. While Berube was stellar in those five games - four starts - with three counting as quality, his .960 save percentage in five games in the AHL were just as important to maintaining his prospect standing. Berube, a former fourth round pick, was very strong in leading Manchester to the Calder Cup championship last season. He has quick and controlled movements and will stack the pads when he needs to slide across his crease to play a puck that has crossed the royal road. While he plays somewhat deep in his crease and isn’t the type to challenge the shooter too often, he puts in the work to fight through screens. Berube profiles as an above average backup at the NHL level, an impression that is helped by his strong results this year despite rarely seeing the ice in game situations. Berube is an RFA this summer.

Christopher Gibson, G (Trade: Tor. Sep. 17, 2015, originally, LA: 49, 2011)

Gibson is living proof that the development path of goaltenders is almost never linear. As a draft elgible netminder playing the QMJHL, he was good enough with Chicoutimi that the Kings used a second round pick on him in 2011. Unfortunately for Gibson and the Kings, the following two seasons were less impressive including a poor showing for Finland (yes, Chris Gibson is Finnish) at the 2012 WJC, that they did not bother offering him a contract, instead preferring to let him become a free agent. The Toronto Maple Leafs signed him shortly thereafter, and Gibson spent two years in their system, stopping 92% of shots faced in parts of two seasons in the AHL. Shortly before the start of this season, and the acquisition of Berube, Gibson was traded to the Islanders as one of five young players in exchange for penalty killing winger Michael Grabner. With the exception of a 29 minute cameo in early January for the Islanders – his NHL debut – this season was his third at the AHL level. His Bridgeport numbers were not as good as those from his time with the Marlies. Gibson is quick and agile enough to play goalie at the highest level, but his ability to read the play and subpar rebound control will likely prevent him from being much more than a decent third goalie waiting in the wings. Like Berube, Gibson is an RFA this summer.

Stephon Williams, G (106^th overall, 2013)

Williams had an up and down three year career at Minnesota State-Mankato, with his junior (and final) year resulting in a 1.65 GAA and .925 save percentage as he led his team to a #1 seed in the 2015 NCAA hockey tournament. His first full professional season saw him occupy the second string role in AHL Bridgeport and put up mediocre numbers (2.70 GAA, .904 save percentage). The fact that starter Gibson had near-equal numbers at least suggests that the team play in front of the crease shares the blame. According to McKeen’s contributor Daniel Friedman, Williams seems to show the tools, including strong movements and a good blocker and glove hand, but has been very inconsistent, allowing far too many soft goals for the Sound Tigers, often a result of poor positioning. If these are simply developmental hurdles and he can return to what he showed as a junior, with strong play reading and a high compete level, his ceiling is far higher than Gibson’s and he will compete with Berube for a spot with the Islanders. If not, then he is simply a less consistent version of Gibson.

Eamon McAdam, G (70^th overall, 2013)

Drafted out of Waterloo in the USHL, McAdam recently signed his ELC with the Islanders upon the completion of his junior season with Penn State. His save percentage numbers, generally solid as a sophomore and junior take on some added luster when acknowledging that as a new entry to the NCAA, Penn State’s talent pool was a fair bit below the standard of their opponents. McAdam has very quick lateral movements and is a very good scrambler when the need arises. I question his ability to read the play, which may be coachable, but between his high level of athleticism, strong rebound control, above average quickness and high compete level, he has the makings of a good NHL backup with the potential for more if he learns to read the flow of the game better, becoming less vulnerable to backside passes.

Linus Soderstrom, G (95^th overall, 2014)

The starting netminder for Sweden’s WJC entry for the past two seasons, Soderstrom was named the goalie of the tournament this year, stopping nearly 95% of shots for an otherwise disappointing Sweden squad. Back in the Allsvenskan, Sweden’s second highest rung, Soderstrom finished fifth in the circuit with a .927 save percentage, a phenomenal accomplishment for any 19 year old, much less one diagnosed with Asperberger syndrome . Soderstrom shows great focus on the puck, even when under heavy duress. He is very calm in the crease and rarely overcommits, keeping his neck loose to watch the puck being passed around his zone. Even when he drops to his knees, he stays tall and is very hard to beat from down low. Soderstrom is still very young but has done nothing to suggest that his upside is anything less than that of a good starting goalie in the NHL.

Ilya Sorokin, G (78^th overall, 2014)

If we were having fun before, wait until you see how well Sorokin stopped pucks in the KHL as a 20 year old this season. In 28 games for powerhouse CSKA Moscow, he stopped a mind altering 95.3% of shots with a 1.06 GAA. He was also one of the only two regular netminders (along with Capitals prospect Ilya Samsonov) in the league who had yet to reach his 21^st birthday. According to Hockey Prospectus correspondent Alessandro Seren Rosso, Sorokin is a butterfly netminder who rarely drops too early and who is very difficult to beat down low. His blocking style prevents him from allowing too many second chance shots. He is very fast from post to post and is very consistent from game to game (with the aforementioned numbers, he could not have had too many multi-goal nights). He is not perfect yet, with limited experience fighting through the types of screens that are common in North America and his puck handling is not a strength, but most concerning for the Islanders brass and the team’s fans is his contract status. Sorokin is signed with CSKA through the end of the 2017-18 season. While he will still have youth on his side if he can be convinced to come to North America at that time, with the sheer volume of talented netminders already in the system, he may be in for a battle to establish himself as a starter in Brooklyn. Like Soderstrom, he profiles as a good starter.

Enough about goalies...anyways, I think we covered them all already! Before closing the book on the Islanders, I wanted to bring attention to a trio of young blueliners in the system who should be on everyone’s radars.

March 14, 2016 New York Islanders Defenceman Ryan Pulock (6) [9983] makes a move around Florida Panthers Defenceman Erik Gudbranson (44) [8385] during the NY Islanders game versus the Florida Panthers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. (Photo by Your Dennis Schneidler/Icon Sportswire)

Ryan Pulock, D (15^th overall, 2013)

Ranked 34^th overall among all prospects by Hockey Prospectus last summer, Pulock, while roughly repeating his production this year, has disappointed to the extent that he has not seemed to progress. That said, what he is, is still worthy of playing in the NHL. He made his NHL debut on February 28, and should not be going back down to Bridgeport. Pulock is not more than an average skater, but his point shot is a howitzer. It can and will hurt people. The Manitoba native is comfortable carrying the puck and is more than just a fancy shot. He is responsible in his own end, not overcommitting to opponents and is a passable penalty killer. There are rough edges to his game that need smoothing out, such as a propensity for screening his own netminder, but he is very close to being a solild second pairing defender at the highest level.

Devon Toews, D (108^th overall, 2014)

Toews is a mainstay for one of college hockey’s best defensive teams, Quinnipiac. He fits the mold of the modern puck moving, mobile blueliner. While physically unprepossessing, he does not shy from contact. His specialty is in carrying the puck up the ice. Toews sees the ice very well, does not hesitate to join the rush whether leading the charge or as a supporting player. His passes are accurate and sharp and he has a solid slapshot that he keeps low. Having improved his numbers every year in NCAA, the Islanders may consider trying to convince him to forego his senior season with the Bobcats after their tournament run ends.

Jake Bischoff, D (185^th overall, 2012)

Like Toews, Bischoff is a smart and mobile puck moving defender. On the power play with the Golden Gophers, he is a clear cut quarterback, scanning the ice and picking out the best passing options. His shot is above average, but he is most effective setting up his teammates. He is a very good skater and is responsible in his own end as well. He was one of the brighter spots on a subpar Minnesota squad this year. He has one more year of college eligibility remaining. Bischoff’s upside may be slightly south of Toews’, but the toolset is there to be a solid professional.

Jean-Francois Berube – McKeen's Hockey

Vegas Golden Knights unveil their roster with more chips to fall.

NHL Prospect Watch: New York Islanders