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Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Colorado Avalanche

By Michael Joubran

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: Calvin Pickard 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: Calvin Pickard 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 defenceman and one goaltender or eight skaters and one goaltender. The full rules can be found here. The eighth team we are going to look at is the Colorado Avalanche.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche surprisingly had a couple of good options for Vegas to choose from. A couple of good players that the Knights could have chosen are Mikhail Grigorenko and Eric Gelinas. Grigorenko is a 23-year-old, center who could have played in a bottom six role for the Knights. Considering he just signed a contract in the KHL, it is not a surprise that Vegas did not take him.

Gelinas would have been a decent pick for the Knights. He looked like a promising defenceman with the New Jersey Devils but after being to the Colorado Avalanche, his game dropped tremendously. If played in a bigger role his game could pick back and become the player he once was.

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Vegas ended up drafting a goaltender in Calvin Pickard. I actually really liked this pick for the Knights. Pickard’s stats were not the greatest last season but, he was playing for the worst team in the NHL. He could do very well for the Knights as Fleury’s backup. He is also 25 years old, meaning that he still has time to improve and become a good goalie for Vegas.

What Other Options Did They Have?

As mentioned before, the Knights decided to draft Pickard. Other options for them were Grigorenko and Gelinas but Pickard was the better choice of the three. Two other players, that the Knights could have drafted, are Carl Soderberg and Patrick Wiercioch. Soderberg would have been a high risk, high reward type of pick. Last season he had 14 points in 80 games – his worst in the NHL. The three seasons prior to that, he had between 44-51 points. After playing on the last place Avalanche, it is not a surprise that his stats dropped.

Wiercioch would have been a decent choice for the Knights as well. He is a good penalty killer and would have been a good choice for the bottom pairing or as somebody who could move into the top four if somebody gets injured.

Overall, I believe that Vegas made the smartest choice by drafting Pickard.

Overview

Despite the Avalanche being the worst team in the NHL, they had a couple of good options for Vegas to choose from. They could have gone with Grigorenko is a young player who could have grown with Vegas. Gelinas and Wiercioch have each looked like a promising defenceman at one point in their careers. Despite that, the risk is higher than the reward. Soderberg could have been a good pick. He has shown to be consistent but after a down season last year, Vegas decided that they did not want him.

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The Knights decided to draft Pickard. While his stats were not the greatest last season, he is a promising goaltender. I believe that they made the best choice by drafting him.

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