Dylan Coghlan: 3 Fun Facts

When the Golden Knights hosted Rookie Camp earlier this month, it mostly consisted of players the team drafted in the NHL Entry Draft or established prospects that were acquired from other organizations.
Eleven of these players, however, were free agent invitees. Unclaimed players who were given a chance in camp, with hope of impressing George McPhee's staff enough to get a contract. Even if that contract was to play in the minor leagues.
The Golden Knights elected to sign one of those players on Wednesday, inking Coghlan to a three-year, entry-level contract.
Here are three fun facts to get to know Coghlan better.

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1. Is a puck-moving defenseman with projectable size
At 6-foot-3, Coghlan has the height that front offices crave in defensemen, despite only weighing about 190 pounds. For Coghlan to play at the NHL level, conventional wisdom suggests that he'd have to beef up a bit.
At the same time, Coghlan responded to being passed over in the 2016 NHL Draft by netting 53 points (15G, 38A) in 71 games for the Western Hockey League's Tri-City Americans this past season. This is compared to 24 points in 2015-16, and only five the year before.
By NHL standards, 19, the age Coghlan is, would be considered a bit of a late bloomer. But by people standards, Coghlan is very young and has shown that he may have something to give at the pro level.
2. Will probably play junior hockey this year
Coghlan is likely to play this entire season for Tri-City (Washington state), and wouldn't yet be eligible from an age perspective to join the AHL's Chicago Wolves.
So this is a player that projects as more of a project than another defenseman that could be added to Vegas' crowded blue line this season.
Although it should be noted that McPhee told Coghlan he "hopes he'll play for us for the next 15 years" as he signed his contract.
3. Vegas got plenty of looks at Coghlan
Besides scouting him in the Western Hockey League, the Golden Knights invited Coghlan to Development Camp in late June, just days after he was passed over in the NHL Draft for the second consecutive year.
Coghlan was strong in Development Camp, however, and earned an additional invite to Rookie Camp. In the team's two Rookie Camp games against the LA Kings, Coghlan was one of the team's best all-around performers.
He defended soundly, effectively joined the play on offense and showed toughness by fighting through an injury after which he had to be helped off the ice.
So while Coghlan is joining Vegas on a new contract, he's already worn the team's logo in game action, which George McPhee's staff has carefully evaluated before signing this contract.