Cody Glass is the first ever draft pick in the history of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Another day, another historic milestone for the Vegas Golden Knights. The NHL’s newest franchise is participating in their first ever NHL Entry Draft. And with three first round picks in the top 15 selections, General Manger George McPhee can’t afford to have three whiffs right out of the gate.
Their first selection came in at number six overall, and the club is pleased on who they took. The Vegas Golden Knights selected Cody Glass as the team’s first draft pick in franchise history. Glass was always high on the Golden Knights draft board.
Cody Glass
Glass plays for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League and has made quite a name for himself over the course of the year. The 18-year old had a breakout campaign with 32 Goals, 62 Assists and 94 Points in 69 games played.
Glass brings one of the best two-way games in this draft class. His playmaking ability is also a thrill to watch as he makes a tape to tape pass look so easy. The Winnipeg Manitoba native plays in all situations on the penalty kill, power play and five on five. His style is a lot like the style of Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets according to hockey analyst Pierre McGuire.
Nick Suzuki
Vegas selected another Center with their second first round pick. The Golden Knights got a heck of a player at 13th overall in Nick Suzuki. Our friends at Flame For Thought wrote an outstanding piece on the London, Ontario native.
Suzuki had an excellent 2016-17 campaign for the Owen Sound Attack with 45 goals, 51 assists and 96 points in 65 games played. In the playoffs, he impressed again with eight goals 15 assists and 23 points in 17 games. There’s no doubt that he knows how to put up points, but he also has a high hockey IQ.
Like Glass, Suzuki is also a two-way centerman and plays in all situations. The difference between Glass and Suzuki is Suzuki is a little undersized at 5’11 183 lbs. However, Suzuki may bring a bit more of a goal-scoring ability than Glass does. The Golden Knights had no problem taking two centers with their top picks.
Erik Brannstrom
This is by far the Golden Knights most interesting pick. McPhee went off the board with his third and final first round draft pick. At 15th overall, the Vegas Golden Knights selected defenseman Erik Brannstrom. In 35 games played in 2016-17, he scored one goal and five assists with +10 rating for HV71 Jonkoping of the SweHL.
Brannstrom competed in a league against grown men, and the young 17-year old flourished. The Eksjö, Sweden native moves the puck with ease on defense. He also brings a bomb of a shot from the blue line. Brannstrom can single handily take over a game with his speed, hands and puck possession.
However, Brannstrom is undersized at 5’10 and weighs 172 lbs. His size could become a problem at the NHL level, but the good news is the game is trending in his direction. There’s still time for improvement and growth in his defensive zone as that’s his one of his major flaws. And as creative as he is with the puck, he overthinks and turns the puck over for an odd man rush going the other way.
Next: Vegas Golden Knights Inaugural Season Schedule Is Out
The Golden Knights wrapped up the day with an impressive showing as McGuire and insider Bob McKenzie praised the selections George McPhee made. The team moves onto day two of the NHL Entry Draft tomorrow morning at 10 AM for rounds 2-7. Keep an eye out for McPhee on the draft floor as he holds three second round picks.