The Vegas Golden Knights have 13 prospects who have yet to sign their entry-level contract, raising the question of who is next to be signed and when.
The Vegas Golden Knights have 13 prospects who have yet to sign their entry-level contract, raising the question of who is next to be signed and when.
Some of the Golden Knights' top-rated prospects, such as Mathieu Cataford and Matyas Sapovaliv, have signed their entry-level contracts despite playing in the CHL. Doing so gives the team control over them and allows them to eventually play in the AHL like Sapovaliv will do this season and Cataford likely will next year.
Prospects playing in the CHL or in one of the many European leagues can sign an ELC while not being paid by the club. This gives teams control over the prospect and allows them at the very least to receive compensation if they don't want to be a part of the organization at some point.
The four selections the Golden Knights made during the 2024 NHL Draft have unsurprisingly not signed their ELC. Trevor Connelly, despite reports that he could have signed his ELC and played in the WHL, would not be able to play in the NCAA if he signed his. Trent Swick, Lucas Van Vliet and Pavel Moysevich have also not signed an ELC just yet. They are all later-round picks and will likely have to wait and show the Golden Knights on multiple occurrences that they deserve and are ready for an ELC.
The nine other players include Martins Dzierkals, Jackson Hallum, Ryder Donavan, Tuomas Uronen, Noah Ellis, Artur Cholach, Abram Wiebe, Arttu Karki and Cameron Whitehead, according to PuckPedia.
Connelly is likely the next player to receive an entry-level contract but his play during his freshman year at Providence College will ultimately dictate that. If he puts on muscle and dominates his competition he could sign a contract to bring him into the Golden Knights organization. Hallum is entering his third season with the University of Michigan and after he plays out his fourth and final year during the 2025-26 season, the Golden Knights will be forced to decide to either hand him a contract or let him become a free agent.
Karki could also sign his ELC if his return to Liiga is successful.
The Golden Knights' prospect pool isn't the deepest in the league but does possess some players who could be NHL contributors at some point in the future.
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