The Golden Knights have made another blue-line shuffle, recalling Viliam Kmec from the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights and sending Ville Heinola back down, according to a team announcement.
Kmec, 22, has become one of the more notable defensive names in Vegas’ thinner prospect pool. The organization signed the Kosice, Slovakia, native to his entry-level deal a few years back after he went undrafted in three straight NHL Drafts.
His path to pro hockey came after a strong run with the WHL’s Prince George Cougars. In his final junior season before signing, the 6-foot-3 defenseman piled up 18 goals and 61 points in 65 games, added a plus-43 rating, and chipped in one goal and five points in seven playoff games. He then closed out that year with two assists in three games for Henderson.
Kmec’s first full professional season last year was solid, too. He put up four goals and 16 points in 65 games with a plus-12 rating, then represented Team Slovakia at the IIHF World Championship over the summer, finishing with one goal and two points in seven games. This season, he has three assists in 10 games to start.
Heinola, meanwhile, keeps bouncing between the NHL and AHL. The former first-round pick is in his first season with the Golden Knights after signing as an unrestricted free agent this past offseason. In two NHL games, he has one assist, and in five AHL appearances he has one goal and five points.
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But the trip through Vegas left a new concern hanging over the lineup. Anthony Mantha exited the game with an undisclosed injury after a collision with Noah Hanifin sent him crashing into the net, and Keefe said the forward will need a full evaluation once the team gets back to New Jersey. For a Devils group trying to build on its early momentum, the question now is whether one of its recent contributors will be available when the attention shifts back home. [Read more 🡒]