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Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Buffalo Sabres (4/30)

By Michael Joubran

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: William Carrier is selected by the Las Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017 NHL Awards and Expansion Draft at T-Mobile Arena on June 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: William Carrier is selected by the Las Vegas Golden Knights during the 2017 NHL Awards and Expansion Draft at T-Mobile Arena on June 21, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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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 fourth team we are going to look at is the Buffalo Sabres.

Buffalo Sabres

Like the Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo did not have many good options for Vegas to take. While Zach Bogosian was available and is a top four defenceman, his cap of $5,142,857 until the 2019-2020 season is undesirable. Other available players were Brian Gionta, Matt Moulson and Cody Franson. Considering all three of those players are 30 years old or older, it is not a surprise that Vegas decided to skip on all of them.

Who did they end up taking? Vegas decided that William Carrier was the best option for them to take. Carrier was a decent option for them and can surprise a lot of people. Personally, I thought they would have taken a different player – who you will hear about later – but I understand why they decided on Carrier as their choice.

Despite, not having much NHL experience, Carrier can add some offence to the Knights’ lineup. He played in 41 games last season (his only season in the NHL) and produced eight points. While those numbers are below average, he was playing in a bottom six role for the Sabres. If given more ice time and better linemates, Carrier can become a good player for the Knights and possibly become a top nine player. As a 22-year-old, he still has time to improve his game and if played correctly, can make strong strides in his improvement.

What Other Options Did They Have?

As I stated before, other options the Knights had were Gionta, Moulson or Franson. With all of them being 30 years old or older, Vegas most likely had no interest in any of them. Other players that were available to be drafted were Dmitry Kulikov, Nicolas Deslauriers and Anders Nilsson.

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Kulikov would have been a solid choice for Vegas’ defensive core. As a 26-year-old, he is in the prime of his career but had his worst season last season. After producing 5 points in 46 games and being a UFA, it is not a shock that Vegas decided that they did not want Kulikov.

Deslauriers would have been an interesting choice. He is 26 years old, meaning that he is in the prime of his career but has not done anything special. Over 211 games in the NHL, Deslauriers only has 30 points. Vegas made a smart choice by choosing Carrier over him.

As I mentioned before, there is one person who I expected Vegas to take. That person was Nilsson. After seeing the rest of the draft unfold and who else Vegas took, I was not surprised that they would rather take Carrier over Nilsson. He could have been a solid backup for the Knights, but they decided on other goalies who would help them more. Thus, Nilsson was not needed and they chose Carrier.

Overall, the Knights made a solid choice with Carrier, especially when you consider who else was available.

Overview

The Knights did not have many good options available for them to take from the Sabres. Despite that, I believe they made a good choice in Carrier. Since he is 22 years old, if they develop him properly, he can become a top nine player for them.

Considering the other players available, I would say the only other good player was Nilsson. However, as stated before, Vegas decided on other goaltenders who would help them more, leaving Nilsson to not be needed.

Next: Possible Line Combinations Part 1

Carrier can develop into a good player for the Knights and I believe he was the best choice for Vegas.

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