Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Anaheim Ducks (1/30)

The Vegas Golden Knights are the newest NHL team. Over the next month I will take a look at why they took who they did from each NHL franchise.

The Vegas Golden Knights are the 31st NHL franchise. As an expansion team they were allowed to take one player (who was eligible to be drafted) from the other 30 NHL teams. Each team was able to protect either seven forwards, three defenseman and one goaltender or eight skaters and one goaltender. The full rules can be found here. The first team we are going to look at is the Anaheim Ducks.

Anaheim Ducks

The Knights had a couple of good options from the Ducks. They could have taken Sami Vatanen or Patrick Eaves. Instead, they took Clayton Stoner. Why you may ask? Because they ended up with receiving Shea Theodore through a side deal. While Theodore is not an established NHL player, he has the potential to become a top four defenseman.

Why Theodore Over Vatanen?

There are two reasons as to why the Knights would take Theodore over Vatanen. First, if the Knights decided to take Vatanen then most likely the Ducks would have found a way to trade him. Rather than lose Vatanen for nothing, they would have most likely traded him to a team for a prospect and/or picks.

You may be asking “how could they trade Vatanen after the Knights drafted him?” Well, that is not how it would happen. If the Ducks did not make a deal with Vegas to protect Vatanen before the draft then they would have most likely traded Vatanen.

Second, now they are in the good books with Anaheim for negotiating with them and giving them a chance to keep Vatanen. While the Knights gave up the chance to draft Vatanen, they got a top prospect in Theodore and the respect of the Ducks Organization.

What Other Options Did They Have?

Instead of doing the Stoner/Theodore route or taking Vatanen, there were a couple of other options they had. Most likely the Ducks would have wanted Vegas to take Stoner but they could have tried to get a different player other than Theodore. Other possible options could have been to get the Ducks first round pick in 2017 or 2018. They also could have tried to get Sam Steel or Nick Ritchie. Overall, I think the Knights took the best option in Theodore and are on the Ducks’ good side.

Overview

The Knights had a couple of good options from the Ducks. In the end they decided taking Stoner and Theodore was the best option for them and I definitely agree. Some people have argued that they should have taken Vatanen but what some fail to realize is that Vatanen probably would not have been available. The Ducks would have most likely traded Vatanen before the Knights could draft him.

Next: Jonathan Marchessault Player Review

Ending up with Theodore was definitely a positive for the team, he could become a very good player for the Knights in the future.