Knights release their return-to-play roster

Peyton Krebs, a firstround pick in 2019, was a notable addition to the Golden Knights training camp roster that was released Saturday.

The list of participants includes 18 forwards, 12 defensemen and three goaltenders, and it appears none of the team’s regulars opted out of the NHL’s return-to-play plan.

The Knights open training camp at 10 a.m. Monday at City National Arena. Fans are not permitted to attend the practices.

Krebs did not participate in training camp last September due to a partially torn Achilles and is yet to make his NHL debut. The 19-year-old posted 60 points in 38 games for his major-junior team in the Western Hockey League.

Krebs is joined by American Hockey League forwards Patrick Brown, Reid Duke, Keegan Kolesar and Gage Quinney.

On defense, Nicolas Hague was called up with Jake Bischoff, Dylan Coghlan and Jimmy Schuldt.

Oscar Dansk was the lone goaltender added to the roster.

The Knights are allowed cornerbacks Damon Arnette and Amik Robertson and signing veteran corner Prince Amukamara, the Raiders still have high hopes for Johnson.

He’ll get a big chance to open eyes in camp. So don’t be surprised if it comes together for Johnson this season.

DT Maliek Collins

The Raiders made a flurry of moves in free agency while addressing major needs on defense, and one move that fell under the radar was the pickup of Collins, the former Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle and a favorite of new Raiders defensive line coach Rod Marinelli.

Collins has shown a knack for pushing the pocket from the interior. If he can replicate that with the Raiders, he will fill a major need. Last season, Collins finished with 36 hurries, 10 QB hits and 48 pressures, each of which would have led the Raiders’ interior linemen.

Looking beyond the obvious stats, Collins has a chance to not only make an individual impact, but the complementary component he brings is bound to help his defensive teammates.

According to Pro Football Focus, Collins had the eighth-best pass-rushing grade among interior defensive linemen last year. And according to ESPN, Collins had the fourth-best win rate among all defensive linemen, which certainly led to being double-teamed on a whopping 64 percent of his snaps.

Ideally, the Raiders can create more one-on-one matchups for to carry a maximum of 31 players for the NHL playoffs.

They open round-robin play in Edmonton on Aug. 3 against Dallas before taking on St. Louis (Aug. 6) and Colorado (Aug. 8) to determine the top four seeds in the Western Conference.

Golden Knights training camp roster

■ Forwards (18): Patrick Brown, William Carrier, Nick Cousins, Reid Duke, William Karlsson, Keegan Kolesar, Peyton Krebs, Jonathan Marchessault, Tomas Nosek, Gage Quinney, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Reaves, Nicolas Roy, Reilly Smith, Paul Stastny, Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone and Alex Tuch

■ Defensemen (12): Jake Bischoff, Dylan Coghlan, Deryk Engelland, Nicolas Hague, Nick Holden, Alec Martinez, Brayden McNabb, Jon Merrill, Nate Schmidt, Jimmy Schuldt, Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud

■ Goaltenders (3): Oscar Dansk, Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner him in 2020. But even if he’s facing constant double-teams, it means more favorable matchups for his teammates.

Keep an eye on the 24-year-old Collins, who has a chance to develop into a Pro Bowl-caliber player.

WR Bryan Edwards

The Raiders double-downed at wide receiver in the 2020 draft by selecting Alabama speedster Henry Ruggs with the 12th overall pick and then adding Edwards, a big, playmaking target out of South Carolina in the third round.

In a normal year, the 6-3, 215-pound Edwards would have gone much higher in the draft. But a deep wide receiver class coupled with two injuries Edwards suffered toward the end of the 2019 season and just before the NFL scouting combine resulted in a bit of a fall.

That fall meant a first- or second-round talent falling to the Raiders in the third round. And while Edwards gets lost in the shuffle somewhat given all the hype for Ruggs, it would be a mistake to sleep on the physical, big-bodied wide receiver who can create space for himself downfield and whose physical stature and catch radius make him an ideal red zone weapon.

Edwards is primed for a big training camp, and his skill set is perfectly suited for a quick assent to the NFL game.