The Vegas Golden Knights signed 2019 first-round pick Peyton Krebs to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Saturday.
Krebs, selected No. 17 in the 2019 NHL Draft, was returned to Winnipeg of the Western Hockey League on Friday. He will make his season debut with the Ice on Sunday and will make his home debut on Nov. 30.
Krebs had been rehabbing with the Golden Knights since development camp in June. The 18-year-old center sustained a partially torn Achilles during an on-ice workout prior to the draft in June.
Krebs took part in his first team-organized workout since the Achilles injury on Nov. 12, skating with the Golden Knights.
“He looked excellent, really,” coach Gerard Gallant said Tuesday. “He’s getting some skating time with us. Looked really good. I was really happy to see him out there.”
The center is entering his fourth season with the Ice (formerly Kootenay) coming off a 68-point campaign (19 goals, 49 assists) in 2019. He had 54 points the year prior.
Krebs was projected to be a top-10 pick in this past summer’s draft until the Achilles injury. In such a loaded draft class with players falling, the Golden Knights felt lucky to get Krebs at No. 17. They envision him as a center that can eventually fit the mold of current stars William Karlsson and Mark Stone; a 200-foot player that can make an impact at both ends of the ice.
Now that he’s healthy, and signed, Krebs begins his trek to eventually be a mainstay in the Golden Knights’ organization.