PROJECTING VEGAS EXPANSION DRAFT
Goaltending could be strength for first-year Golden Knights
As you read this, Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee might be making a trade in advance of Wednesday’s expansion draft.
It could be an agreement to not select a player left unprotected by another team. Or McPhee could agree to take a high-priced player in exchange for other players and/or draft picks.
It will be sorted out by 10 a.m. ET Wednesday when selections are finalized. But here is our projection of who the Golden Knights will take from each team.
ANAHEIM DUCKS
D Sami Vatanen: A deal in place likely will obligate Vegas not to select Vatanen or Josh Manson. But until we know, Vatanen is the most intriguing available player.
ARIZONA COYOTES
G Louis Domingue: He is a 25year-old with a contract paying him a little more than $1 million. He seems like the best option in a weak pool of Arizona players.
BOSTON BRUINS
D Colin Miller: With many NHL teams seeking defensemen, why not take a 24-year-old whose best years are in front of him?
BUFFALO SABRES
LW William Carrier: A secondround pick and a third-year pro, unlike teammate Jack Eichel, Carrier is appealing because he is 22 and has plenty of upside.
CALGARY FLAMES
RW Alex Chiasson: He is 25, 6-3 and scored 12 goals last season. The restricted free agent should be easy to sign. He could be a dependable third-line forward.
CAROLINA HURRICANES
RW Lee Stempniak: Not many goal scorers are available in this draft, and Stempniak scored 16 last season. He’s a consistent secondary scorer. He has one season left on his deal at $2.5 million.
CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
D Trevor van Riemsdyk: He played in 58 games last season and was +17 on a quality Blackhawks defense. Forward Marcus Kruger could join van Riemsdyk in Vegas through a trade.
COLORADO AVALANCHE
G Calvin Pickard: Vegas is expected to draft at least four goalies and trade away two. Pickard, 25, would have some value as a goalie entering the prime of his career.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
C William Karlsson: The Co
lumbus Dispatch is reporting that the Blue Jackets are giving up a first-round pick and a prospect not to take specific young players or veteran defensemen Jack Johnson or David Savard.
DALLAS STARS
C Cody Eakin: McPhee drafted him when he was in Washington. He’s a two-way, No. 3 center with potential to score 15 goals.
DETROIT RED WINGS
G Petr Mrazek: He is coming off a poor season but has the potential to be a difference-maker. The Golden Knights might consider Riley Sheahan, a 215-pound center who could score 15 goals.
EDMONTON OILERS
D Griffin Reinhart: Though Reinhart has been slow to develop, he was a fourth-overall pick and is only 23. He’s the son of former NHL standout Paul Reinhart.
FLORIDA PANTHERS
C Jonathan Marchessault: He’s the only 30-goal scorer the Golden Knights are going to draft. He’s small, but he can find the net.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
D Brayden McNabb: He’s 6-5, and his game is starting to come together at 26. He might be a defenseman they keep, rather than a defenseman they draft and trade.
MINNESOTA WILD
D Matt Dumba: The Wild exposed defenseman Marco Scandella and center Eric Staal, but Dumba should be the choice because offensive defensemen are hard to find. Dumba, 22, has 21 goals over the last two seasons.
MONTREAL CANADIENS
D Brandon Davidson: Davidson has 101 games of NHL experience and an easy-on-the-budget $1.4 million contract.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
RW James Neal: General manager David Poile had to expose Neal to save center Calle Jarnkrok and his favorable $2 million contract.
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
D Jon Merrill: A rebuilding Devils team should not be giving up young defensemen. New Jersey GM Ray Shero might make an offer to keep him.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS
D Calvin De Haan: TSN has reported that the Islanders have offered a first-round pick to Vegas if it won’t select one of their available forwards, such as Brock Nelson or Josh Bailey.
NEW YORK RANGERS
RW Jesper Fast: The Golden Knights’ hope would be that Fast has more offense than he has shown in New York.
OTTAWA SENATORS
D Marc Methot: Unlesss the Senators have cut a deal with Vegas, teams will be lining up to make a trade offer for Methot, who was in Ottawa’s top pairing. He could be the hottest player in the trade market.
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS
G Michal Neuvirth: McPhee had him in Washington. He might be a quality backup in Vegas, or maybe the Golden Knights can ship him to Buffalo or Winnipeg.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS
G Marc-Andre Fleury: When the Flames traded for Mike Smith, it seemed to signal Fleury would be the No. 1 goalie in Las Vegas. Besides being a quality goalie, Fleury is an exceptional teammate and an entertaining personality. He’s perfect for an expansion team.
ST. LOUIS BLUES
W David Perron: With so many teams looking for scoring, Vegas could draft Perron and move him for a draft pick. He scored 18 goals last season.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
D Paul Martin: At 36, Martin is still one of the NHL’s most consistent defensemen. He’s had one minus season over the last decade. He has two seasons left at $4.8 million.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
D Jake Dotchin: He is 6-3 and was playing 17 to 19 minutes a night for the Lightning as a rookie late in the season. He has some bite to his game.
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS
LW Kerby Rychel: The former first-round pick is coming off a strong American Hockey League season. He had 19 goals, 52 points and 118 penalty minutes for the Toronto Marlies.
VANCOUVER CANUCKS
LW Reid Boucher: He is 23 and had five goals in 27 games for the Canucks.
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
D Nate Schmidt: He was +22 in 60 games last season for the Capitals. Schmidt has 200 games of NHL experience.
WINNIPEG JETS
D Toby Enstrom: While Enstrom, 32, might not be a perfect fit for an expansion team, he has considerable value in the trade market. He can run a power play. Wouldn’t he be a good fit in Detroit or Boston or even Pittsburgh if Trevor Daley isn’t re-signed?