The Vegas Golden Knights may have big plans if they don’t select within the top five.
Things don’t always come to fruition in the NHL Entry Draft lottery. The Vegas Golden Knights chances of being in the top five are very high. However, it could be devastating if they slip to the sixth or even the seventh selection.
Vegas needs to be ready for a backup plan just in case if something goes wrong. Vegas Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee could always trade back and accumulate more picks especially with this draft, where the talent is weaker than drafts in the past. If they do pick a player at sixth or seventh, the NHL’s 31st team should take Michael Rasmussen.
Rasmussen plays for the Tri-City Americans of the Western Hockey League. The Surrey, British Columbia native had a standout campaign in 2016-2017. In 50 games played, he scored 32 Goals 23 Assists and 55 Points.
The kinks to Rasmussen’s game is few and far between. Rasmussen is a bit raw and can make some questionable decisions in the neutral zone. You’d also like to see more effort from a player like him over the course of a 60 minute game.
However, out of all the players I talked about, this player is by far the most interesting player in the draft. Rasmussen’s natural position is Center and not only does he love to play Center, but he’s very effective on the dot because of his size. The 17-year-old is 6’5 and 200 lbs so if he gains more weight, he can really be a dominant threat all over the ice.
Rasmussen really takes over a game using his big body but what else does he do well? He has the ability to win a ton of board battles, loves crashing the net and creating traffic in front of the goaltender. Another thing that Rasumussen really excels at is his ability to protect the puck, which is a big one if he’s going to be an NHL level Center.
Rasmussen doesn’t have a ton of speed but he has decent mobility for a player his size. His bread and butter is his natural two-way game. There’s no one close to Rasmussen’s two-way game other than Nolan Patrick. Not to mention this kid can score and score a lot.
Rasmussen may look for passes instead of shots but the scouting reports don’t translate to the statsheet. Rasmussen has nine more Goals than he does Assists which is kind of ironic. This just goes to show when Rasmussen crashes the net or creates traffic, he creates a ton of havoc and he’s awfully tough to move.
There’s no Center in this draft that has more size than Rasmussen. This kid looks like he could be a one of a kind in this years draft class.
Next: The Vegas Golden Knights Could Possibly Target A Defenseman At The 2017 NHL Entry Draft
All in all, this is one of my favorite players in this years NHL Entry Draft. Rasmussen really came along towards the end of the season and worked very hard. The size of this player intrigues me and McPhee should take a long hard look at him. Rasmussen looks like he can make an impact in a few years and potentially become a big part of the Vegas Golden Knights franchise.