Mock Expansion Draft: Golden Knights Select Best Players Available

[Larry Fisher]

Now that we've seen the protected lists, what is the best possible team the Vegas Golden Knights could draft? Without making any trades or side deals, here's my take on the expansion team's potential roster (spoiler...it doesn't suck): http://thehockeywriters.com/mock-expansion-draft-golden-knights-select-best-players-available/

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[Larry Fisher]

But don't get your hopes up for this roster to come to fruition. We already know a few trades, perhaps a handful, have been made with Vegas agreeing not to pick players, presumably including a couple who appear on my best-case scenario roster. Intriguing times!

 

[HanSolo]

Not crazy about that second line.

 

[airbus220]

Best player available from ARI and COL would be Domingue and Pickard, both under contract.

 

[Larry Fisher]

You would prefer Domingue and Pickard over Fleury, Mrazek, Neuvirth, Raanta, Grubauer and Ullmark?

The catch is you still need to draft a minimum of 14 forwards, 9 defencemen and 3 goaltenders. I guess Vegas could draft 7 goaltenders, 9 defencemen and 14 forwards, using every extra pick on a goalie (including Domingue and Pickard rather than Burmistrov and Grigorenko) but that seems unlikely. Then again, anything is possible with this expansion draft. If Vegas did that, two other defencemen from my roster would have to be changed to forwards (likely Wotherspoon from Calgary and either Reinhart from Edmonton, Ouellet from Detroit or Koekkoek from Tampa Bay).

 

[Larry Fisher]

The second line looks a lot better with Thornton centering it than Grigorenko, that's for sure. With Thornton, that is arguably one of the better second lines and one of the better top-six forward groups in the entire league.

 

[Club]

Looks good.. I'm super pumped for next week, as are all hockey fans!

 

[Nalens Oga]

I agree with the sentiment that they don't need Pickard seeing how there's at least 4 or 5 better goalies available but then you can't go and draft $4 M Soderberg for the 4th line. That projection mentioned no salary cap but he was useless on the 4th line in Colorado and he's not looking good enough for top-six. He's a very expensive tweener.

Then the next two include Grigorenko as the Avs forward and you just can't draft players like Grigorenko who are way too soft to play in a bottom six role and only produce at a 30ish point pace in the top six. The wingers are a bit too slow in that top six too.

 

[airbus220]

You would prefer Domingue and Pickard over Fleury, Mrazek, Neuvirth, Raanta, Grubauer and Ullmark?

Most important are skaters, we can get our goalies in July. Therefore we draft goalies when the skaters on a certain team have less value then on other teams. We likely make a list which skater we want to take from all 30 teams and the weakest ones we replace with goalies.
Fleury is old and at 5.75M a bad pick, I wouldn't want him in Vegas but there is Rust.
Mrazek has a high cap hit either.
Grubauer is RFA, we only have 10 spots without contract, why waste one on a goalie. There are Oshie and Schmidt.
Why should we want Soderberg and Burmistrov.
Of course this all can change in an auction when we trade the drafted players again, but for ARI and COL Domingue and Pickard are the best picks. I would even go to war with them in a tandem.

 

[Larry Fisher]

That is the fascinating thing, everybody has their own opinions on the best approach to building this Vegas roster. We will have to agree to disagree, and who knows which way McPhee is leaning or perhaps somewhere in between.

I think Fleury is essentially a lock to Vegas at this point, I would be shocked if McPhee picked Rust over him. I like the idea of Neuvirth and Grubauer to the Golden Knights because they hired their former goalie coach/mentor from Washington.

If not Grubauer, I could see Vegas signing Alzner as a UFA before Shattenkirk or Oshie. Alzner has a history with McPhee and would be a reliable shutdown type to anchor the blue line.

 

[Karl Eriksson]

You guys taking Methot or Bobby Ryan from Ottawa?

 

[Club]

You guys taking Methot or Bobby Ryan from Ottawa?

You'll have to ask McPhee

But if I had to take a guess, it's hard. But give me Ryan.

 

[HanSolo]

I love Bobby Ryan, I've met him a number of times. I've talked to him on Twitter to the point where even took binge watching series advice from me (or said he would). I was sad to see him leave Anaheim. He's always gonna be a favorite of mine.

But for the purposes of this team I think you gotta go with Methot. Ryan had something of a resurgence but that's the kind of hockey player Bobby is. The offensive stud in him comes and goes at the expense of whatever team he's on.

I've been advocating this team building for strength now and in the future and I think neither really address this team's future but at least Methot can be a force on the blueline. Ryan chips in offense but he isn't a difference maker. His best years were his first couple when he was desperate to make a name for himself. He went to the dirty areas and drove hard to the net and could play well on any line. Then he settled into the NHL and became a perimeter opportunist.

The second line looks a lot better with Thornton centering it than Grigorenko, that's for sure. With Thornton, that is arguably one of the better second lines and one of the better top-six forward groups in the entire league.

But how long is Thornton gonna be a useful player? Another two years?

You said everyone has their own team building philosophies. Personally I don't think this team should waste selections on players that will be roster holes or dead weight in a couple years time. Those players were exposed for a reason. On a contender, players like Thornton would be a great get but even if we play way above expectations, we're not gonna be a threat to win the Cup within the first three years. With a fresh prospect pipeline to deal with this team has a future to think about. They should try to be as competitive as possible while still acquiring assets with long term viability. Thornton is 37 now. How much benefit can they draw on a guy this close to retirement? Jagr didn't help Florida much. I don't see how Thonton would be different.

 

[Larry Fisher]

Well said HanSolo, great points all around. I guess the dilemma is who do you draft for centres? Maybe take Brock Nelson or Ryan Strome instead of Calvin de Haan? Eric Staal is available but he might not be attractive for the same reasons as Thornton. That is going to be a position of weakness for the Golden Knights, especially if Shipachyov struggles to adjust to the North American game/ice size.

 

[franx]

Why pick radulov? If he's UFA can't they just sign him and pick someone else from Montreal?

 

[derriko]

Why pick radulov? If he's UFA can't they just sign him and pick someone else from Montreal?

There's really no great pick from their roster. Radulov signed to a couple year contract >>> anything they have exposed, especially with Beaulieu traded.

 

[franx]

I understand that, but you don't need to draft him to sign him....he's free to sign anywhere on July first. Might as well pick a guy from their list and then sign radulov in 2 weeks. They don't have great players available, but a few of them might get you some draft picks.

 

[Asuna]

i would just pick hudon from montreal and try to sign radulov

 

[Alklha]

I understand that, but you don't need to draft him to sign him....he's free to sign anywhere on July first. Might as well pick a guy from their list and then sign radulov in 2 weeks. They don't have great players available, but a few of them might get you some draft picks.

Vegas are free to sign unprotected UFA's now. So if they can agree a contract with Radulov now, then they should sign him to it and not let him reach UFA. Signing him to a deal would make him their pick from Montreal.

 

[CupInSIX]

i would just pick hudon from montreal and try to sign radulov

They have the opportunity to negotiate with Radulov now. If he signs then he's Montreal's pick.

 

[CupInSIX]

You guys taking Methot or Bobby Ryan from Ottawa?

It's either Methot(and flipping him) or Claesson and a 1st IMO.

 

[franx]

So they have 2 days to sign him and then montreal would not lose another player in the draft?

 

[Alklha]

So they have 2 days to sign him and then montreal would not lose another player in the draft?

Exactly.

With the lack of quality exposed by Montreal, and Shipachyov already on the roster, I'd think they are trying to get something worked out with Radulov. Just a matter of whether he is interested.

 

[sabresfan65]

Exactly.

With the lack of quality exposed by Montreal, and Shipachyov already on the roster, I'd think they are trying to get something worked out with Radulov. Just a matter of whether he is interested.

I really could see about half a dozen Russians on the team next year. I would take a flyer Grigorenko, perhaps Burmistrov, maybe even Yakupov. Then try to sign Kulikov after July 1. Along with Ship, Radulov, and potentially the rumored Dadonov we could have Putin coming to watch the team play.

 

[HanSolo]

Please no to Yakupov.