Knights defenseman “ready to go” after signing extension
LOS ANGELES — The Golden Knights teased their new addition at Tuesday’s morning skate a little by forcing him to be in the middle of their stretching circle.
He didn’t seem to mind. Nic Hague was just happy to be back.
The 23-year-old defenseman joined the Knights ahead of their season opener against the Kings after missing all of training camp waiting for a new contract. Hague flew to Los Angeles late Monday night after agreeing to a three-year extension with a $2.294 million average annual value.
All that’s left to do is get up to speed and get ready to play. Hague didn’t play Tuesday, but coach Bruce Cassidy said the Knights will see if he’s ready to go for Thursday’s home opener against Chicago.
“I couldn’t be happier to be back in the swing of things,” Hague said with a huge grin on his face. “Feels normal again. I love it.”
Hague was a restricted free agent without arbitration rights, which often means talks take longer without firm deadlines over the summer. It still took all of camp for he and the Knights to agree to a deal.
He stayed in shape away from the team by skating with the Ontario Hockey League’s Kitchener Rangers and Mississauga Steelheads. The Knights worked him hard Tuesday, and Hague said he feels “ready to go.”
“I was able to put in some good work and still get the reps when I wasn’t here,” Hague said. “Obviously, it’s not ideal, but I feel like I made the best of it.”
The other thing Hague will have to get caught up on outside of conditioning is Cassidy’s new defensive system. The Knights are playing more zone in their own end this year, meaning they will stick to certain areas rather than following opposing players.
Hague had frequent conversations with assistant coach John Stevens and his teammates while he was away to make sure he understood it. He watched videos on how it worked. He’ll have to get a crash course on the ice now that he’s back, but he feels prepared.
“I don’t feel like I’m completely in the dark,” Hague said. “I tried to get ahead a little bit because I knew I was missing all that.”
Making the cut
Rookies Paul Cotter and Jake Leschyshyn had a feeling they made the Knights’ opening-night roster after traveling to Los Angeles.
They still didn’t know for sure until the team tweeted it out at 6:30 p.m. Monday night. Cotter said the two were at dinner when suddenly he started getting phone calls. His mother, father, sister and brother had already seen the news.
“I figured something had come out,” Cotter said. “I was like ‘Guys, I’m at dinner, don’t call me.’ But yeah, it was cool.”
Cotter, 22, impressed in the preseason with five points in six games. He scored two goals in seven games with the Knights last season.
Leschyshyn, 23, is a strong defensive presence who brought a physical edge this camp. He played 41 NHL games last season and scored six points.
Injury updates
— Left wing William Carrier (mid-body) skated with the Knights for the second straight day Tuesday but didn’t play against the Kings. Cassidy said Carrier will be evaluated “game by game.”
— Goaltender Laurent Brossoit (hip) traveled with the Knights to Los Angeles and worked off to the side at morning skate. Brossoit hasn’t been cleared to fully participate in team activities yet, but the team is hoping he will be after meeting with his surgeon the middle of this month.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.