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Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Columbus Blue Jackets

By Michael Joubran

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: William Karlsson 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 Karlsson 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 ninth team we are going to look at is the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus Blue Jackets

Vegas had a couple of good options, from the Jackets, to choose from. Despite players like Joonas Korpisalo and Jack Johnson being available, the Knights made the best choice by going with a different option. Vegas decided to accept a trade that would make David Clarkson a Golden Knight. By choosing to take Clarkson, the Knights were able to acquire a first in 2017 – which they later traded, with a third round pick in 2017, to the Winnipeg Jets for a better first (Nick Suzuki) – a second in 2019 and William Karlsson from the expansion draft. Karlsson is a young centerman, who could become a top nine, possibly top six, player for the Knights. By choosing to take Clarkson’s bad contract, Vegas got a young roster player and two draft picks.

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While Karlsson would not have been a better choice over Korpisalo and Johnson, a part of that trade would have been for the Knights taking Karlsson over both of them. Most likely the second is for Vegas taking Karlsson and the first is for the Clarkson trade.

What Other Options Did They Have?

The Knights made a good choice with the move they made. If they did not make that move, they still could have acquired Korpisalo or Johnson, both would have been great picks. Two other players that were available are Anton Forsberg and Josh Anderson. Forsberg is a 24-year-old goaltender who has been phenomenal in the AHL but has not been able to transition his game to the NHL. Despite that, he has time to grow and could have become a good goalie for the Knights in the future.

Anderson is a 23-year-old right-winger. He had 29 points in 78 games last season, his first full season in the league. He could have fit in a top nine role for the team and his speed would have added a nice dynamic to the team.

Overall, I believe that taking Clarkson, Karlsson and the picks were the best option for the Knights.

Overview

Columbus had a couple of good options for Vegas to take. While they had two great choices in Korpisalo and Johnson, the option that the Knights decided on was the best choice for the team in the long run. Also, Forsberg and Anderson would have been good choices as well but, as I mentioned before, the Karlsson/Clarkson deal was the best choice for the Knights.

Next: Predictions For The 2017-18 Season

While Clarkson will probably never play a game for the Knights because of a back injury, but the acquisition of Karlsson, a first and a second, makes up for it.

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