Development Camp trucks on this week with two more scrimmages Friday and Saturday morning. Vegas’ group of young guns has gone through three days of two-a-day sessions with a full scrimmage on Thursday evening. Coming into the week, there were a handful of prospects we all had eyes on and for the most part, they have performed as expected. In addition to the players with expectations, there have been a handful of players who have opened my eyes over the past few days. Here are my favorite players in Development Camp, with two scrimmages remaining.
Nic Hauge
Hauge is well known around Vegas and in Chicago where he helped the Wolves make the Calder Cup Final, albeit in a losing effort. Golden Knights fans are no stranger to being the runner-up, so it only made sense for the hockey gods to thwart the Wolves’ Calder Cup run. Hauge is a big bodied defenseman with a strong shot, but those weren’t the things that have stood out thus far. Hauge skates very well and not just for a big guy.
Jack Dugan
Dugan has been very impressive in drills and the first scrimmage of Development Camp. He has shown good instincts jumping on loose pucks and finding soft spots in the defense. When he has the puck, he shows a nose for the net and has the skill to finish his chances. He stood out on Team White’s top line and was rewarded with a goal. He will be a player to watch in the next two scrimmage.
Gustaf Westlund
Westlund is the first entry on this list who was not a name being brought up coming into camp, but he has really impressed up to this point. He shows solid skating, very good puck control, and play-making ability that any team would be happy to have. He seems very confident with the puck and is a big piece of the Ohio State University hockey team. He will turn pro eventually and he will be a very serviceable player, based on what he is showing at this moment.
Jonas Rondbjerg
Much like Dugan and Westlund, Rondbjerg looks extremely adept with the puck on his stick. He has used both skill and body position very well and when he is on the ice, the puck has been in the offensive zone. Granted, he is playing with very good linemates, in Cody Glass and Dugan, but he has stood out in his own right. The 2017 third-rounder will be fun to watch these next two days. He is most likely headed to Chicago this season.
Isaiah Saville
Saville is the newest goalie in the Golden Knights’ system, and he looked very good in the first scrimmage, despite allowing a few goals in the third period on Thursday afternoon. The “Alaskan Wonder”, yes, I’m coining that nickname, looks to have the skills to make the NHL at some point, but he will obviously need to put in the work for a few years before that time comes.
Cody Glass is the premier prospect here at Development Camp and has looked the part, but he was pulled from the first scrimmage and will not be playing in Friday's scrimmage. His status is uncertain, but will be worth monitoring over the next two days of camp.
Be sure to follow me on the Twitter, where I post up-to-date news, observations, and multimedia. Friday’s scrimmage is a 10am start and the final scrimmage is scheduled for 9:15am on Saturday.
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