Vegas looks to Fleury, Plekanec as nucleus
George McPhee can’t wait to fill the white board in the Vegas Golden Knights’ expansion draft room. On Wednesday night, the staff will start adding the names of players who will become part of the expansion team for its first NHL season.
What will that team look like? It won’t have all the top-end talent available, because side deals will allow Vegas to stockpile draft picks and prospects for the future. But it will be the most competitive expansion team in league history. Here’s some possible picks: GOALIES (MINIMUM 3) SURE BET: Three-time Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury seems like the most reliable pick on the board, a recognizable face of the franchise who can easily start 50-60 games and give the Golden Knights chances to win. Fleury waived his no-movement clause so the Pens didn’t have to force another trade, and the 32year-old can go back to being a clear No. 1 goalie.
WORTH THE GAMBLE: Fleury could be joined by an established 20-something backup, like Philadelphia’s Michal Neuvirth, Detroit’s Petr Mrazek, Colorado’s Calvin Pickard or Ranger Antti Raanta. McPhee calls Neuvirth “almost technically perfect.”
ROLLING THE DICE: Maybe Vegas wants to groom its starter of the future, in which case Grubauer, Boston’s Malcolm Subban, Detroit’s Jared Coreau or Toronto’s Antoine Bibeau could work.
DON’T SLEEP ON: Vegas controls the trade market and can make some extra picks to flip a goalie or two. Arizona and Philadelphia are in need of starters. DEFENCE (MINIMUM 9) SURE BET: Assuming the Ducks work a trade to keep Vegas from Sami Vatanen and Josh Manson (at a cost of a first-rounder) there are still plenty of young, affordable defencemen to choose from, along with some veterans. Dion Phaneuf refusing to waive his no-movement clause forced Ottawa to protect him and expose 31-year-old Marc Methot.
Minnesota’s plethora of blue liners made Matt Dumba, 22, and Marco Scandella, 27, available. And unless they’re willing to fork something over, 25-year-old Trevor van Riemsdyk from Chicago seems ticketed for the Knights.
WORTH THE GAMBLE: Detroit’s Xavier Oullet (23), Washington’s Nate Schmidt (25) and Montreal’s Nikita Nesterov (24) all could fit well. Want some more size and physicality? Vegas could look at Boston’s Colin Miller (24), Edmonton’s Griffin Reinhart (23) and Buffalo’s Zach Bogosian (26).
ROLLING THE DICE: Pending Caps free agent Kevin Shattenkirk wants to be a No. 1 defenceman and could get that role in Vegas.
DON’T SLEEP ON: Vegas will be young, but San Jose’s David Schlemko (30) and Paul Martin (36) and New Jersey’s Ben Lovejoy (33) are veteran options. FORWARDS (MINIMUM 14) SURE BET: This is where elite talent already under contract is hard to find, outside of Nashville’s James Neal, a 10-time 20-goal scorer, and 32-year-old Minnesota centre Eric Staal. Vegas could use free agency to stock its top forwards, as it has after signing Vadim Shipacyhov out of the KHL.
WORTH THE GAMBLE: Among established NHL forwards, Vegas has the pick of two 26-year-olds from Florida: right winger Reilly Smith and centre Jonathan Marchessault, who set career highs with 30 goals, 21 assists and 51 points last season and is the biggest bargain in the league at $750,000. With so many Cup teams built down the middle, Dallas’ Cody Eakin (who McPhee also drafted), Minnesota’s Erik Haula and St. Louis’ Jori Lehtera could help present and future.
ROLLING THE DICE: Vegas can build a young nucleus, assuming Columbus persuaded McPhee not to take 17-goal scorer Josh Anderson and the Isles figured a way to keep 56-point man Josh Bailey. One-time prospects Marko Dano from Winnipeg, Mikhail Grigorenko from Colorado and Nail Yakupov from St. Louis may benefit from more ice time under coach Gerard Gallant.
DON’T SLEEP ON: If Vegas does get Chicago centre Marcus Kruger, he’s a nice depth player at 27, and Montreal’s Tomas Plekanec, 34, satisfies a veteran component and could fit perfectly as the franchise’s first captain.