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Peyton Krebs was unsure if he’d be in Las Vegas for training camp ahead of the NHL’s restarted season. He hoped so, and stayed in shape just in case, but didn’t know if he should expect to hear from general manager Kelly McCrimmon.
The call came, however, leaving Krebs thrilled when McCrimmon told him to pack a bag. The 19-year-old participated fully in practice for the first time Tuesday. Vegas selected Krebs in the first round of last summer’s NHL Entry Draft, but an Achilles injury kept him from partaking in last fall’s camp.
He also missed Monday’s opening session at City National Arena as he finished off the final day of a mandatory quarantine period.
“It’s pretty much my first NHL training camp where I get to actually skate, so it was fun to get out there with the guys and just be a part of it,” Krebs said. “Getting the call was pretty special. My goal is to make the NHL and I’m just here to learn a lot and do what I can do to play hard and have fun.”
Krebs is the Golden Knights’ top prospect, a smooth-skating playmaker who shone in the Western Hockey League with the Winnipeg Ice this season. He was the captain of the Canadian World Juniors team and considered one of the better prospects in the league.
If he does dress for a game this year, he would be the youngest Golden Knight to ever do so, and the first teenager.
Even with all those credentials, his inclusion in Golden Knights’ camp was a bit of a surprise. The Golden Knights had 14 forwards on regular rotation in the regular season, and with everyone healthy, Krebs is at best the 15th option for one of the 12 slots for a game.
But there’s value in having a hotshot prospect around the big club, even if he doesn’t play.
The Golden Knights added former top prospect Cody Glass to the expanded playoff roster in 2018, and there’s a chance Krebs could do even more than that.
“He’s an elite young player that at worst is going to get great experience,” McCrimmon said. “This isn’t about player development, this isn’t about public relations or ‘it’s a nice story,’ we brought people to camp that can help win a Stanley Cup game.”
In other words, Krebs wouldn’t be around if there was zero chance of him playing this summer. He was chosen for the roster over a few players with NHL experience this year. Neither Brandon Pirri nor Valentin Zykov are in camp.
Tuesday was also the first time coach Peter DeBoer saw him in person.
“I’ve seen the point totals, I saw a little bit of tape on him last year, but until you put him out there with NHL players, you don’t know how they’re going to fit in or how they’re going to react,” DeBoer said. “I think the best compliment I can give him is he didn’t look out of place at all in that group.”
He’s started to fit in already and has leaned on a star player for advice. Krebs lived with Mark Stone during his rehab in the fall, and now that his quarantine time has ended, he’s moving back in with the veteran winger for the duration of camp.
It’s a familiar situation for Stone, who has taken on a mentor role with other players in the past. While in Ottawa, Stone welcomed first-round pick Brady Tkachuk to live with him, and the pair are still close.
“He’s been a guy I’ve been texting lots, just have fun and do what I can,” Krebs said of Stone. “It’s my first camp, so (Stone's saying), ‘Don’t put any pressure on yourself.’ So just go out there and work hard.”
Krebs is a big part of the Golden Knights’ future, but his inclusion in camp shows he could be part of the present, too. It might not be likely he sees any ice time given how far down he is on the depth chart, but those situations can always change.
Even if he doesn’t put on a game jersey this summer, he hopes to become a better player from being around the Pacific Division champions as they ramp up to chase the Stanley Cup.
“Anytime you can skate at the best level, you’re going to get better,” Krebs said. “The caliber of guys here is the best of the best, and I want to be the best of the best.”
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