It’s true, the Vegas Golden Knights have made their first official transaction by signing Reid Duke to an three-year entry level contract.
For the past three season, Duke has been playing for the Brandon Wheat Kings of the WHL. The 21-year-old center has averaged nearly a point per game during his tenure with the Wheat Kings, and currently has 35 goals and 32 assists among 67 points in only 54 games played this season. He also leads the team in points.
Originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2014, Duke went unsigned by the Wild and had the opportunity to be re-drafted last year. He was not selected and thus became a free agent.
Duke will remain with the Wheat Kings to finish out the season. Following the 2017 NHL Draft, he will participate in the Golden Knights first ever development camp where he will have a chance to show the team’s ownership that he belongs on the opening night roster.
This summer’s development camp will also include Golden Knight draft picks, including what could end up as a number one overall choice. The Golden Knights will be given the same odds as the team with the third worst point total, so they could win the draft lottery. Alternatively, due to expansion rules, they will draft no worse than sixth overall, and will select with the third choice in each round following the first.
