Vegas Golden Knights center Cody Glass (9) skates during training camp at City National Arena Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.
Published Saturday, July 17, 2021 | 12:43 p.m.
Updated Saturday, July 17, 2021 | 4:33 p.m.
The Golden Knights are trading their first-ever draft pick.
Cody Glass is on his way to Nashville as part of a series of moves between the Golden Knights, Predators and Flyers. In return, the Golden Knights will receive center Nolan Patrick from Philadelphia, the team announced today.
In a separate smaller deal, the Golden Knight acquired forward Brett Howden from the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2022 fourth-round pick and minor leaguer Nick DeSimone.
"These are all players that I think are likely in a better spot today in terms of opportunity in front of them than they were yesterday," general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. "Opportunities that presented themselves for us here with expansion, with the trade freeze, it was our opportunity to be active and acquire two really good young players."
The Predators dealt defenseman Ryan Ellis to the Flyers in exchange for Patrick and Philippe Myers, and the Predators flipped Patrick to Vegas for Glass.For Glass, the trade brings to an end a disappointing tenure in Vegas after he was the sixth overall pick in the 2017 draft and the first pick in Golden Knights franchise history. He struggled in parts of two seasons with the Golden Knights, mustering nine goals, 13 assists and 22 points in 66 NHL games.
He played only 27 games with the Golden Knights this year before a midseason demotion to AHL Henderson. He played just one playoff game and was not with the team in the final rounds this year. His rookie season in 2019-20 season ended prematurely by a knee injury.
"This is a really good young player for a really good young player," McCrimmon said. "This wasn't a failure on Cody's part at all."
Patrick has also struggled through injuries and instability in four years with the Flyers, playing 197 games with 30 goals, 40 assists and 70 points. He missed all of the 2019-20 season with a migraine disorder.
Patrick was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2017 draft, four picks ahead of Glass. He played his junior hockey for WHL Brandon, which was managed then by McCrimmon.
"I'm comfortable, confident, I know this player well from having coached him, watched him closely as an NHL player," McCrimmon said. "You marry that insight with what our scouts see, what our projections are for the player and that's what it took for us to be comfortable to make this move."
Patrick is a restricted free agent and will need a new contract before playing with the Golden Knights next season. He had nine points in 52 games for the Flyers last season, and his contract is not expected to have a large cap hit.
Glass’ exit means the Golden Knights have traded all three of their first-round picks from the inaugural draft in 2017. They traded forward Nick Suzuki to Montreal in 2018, and defenseman Erik Brannstrom to Ottawa in 2019.
Howden, 23, was a first-round pick by the Lightning in 2016 but has struggled in his time in the NHL with 49 points in 178 career games, including seven in 42 games last year. He has one year remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $885,000 before reaching restricted free agency next summer.
