Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Minnesota Wild (15/30)
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 defenceman and one goaltender or eight skaters and one goaltender. The full rules can be found here. The fifteenth team we are going to look at is the Minnesota Wild.
Minnesota Wild
Last season, the Wild looked like one of the best teams in the NHL. They had a lot of depth, which was very good for the Golden Knights. Their defensive core was one of the best in the NHL, meaning that Vegas had a couple of good defensive options. Matt Dumba and Marco Scandella were both available and both could fit into the top four.
Dumba is a 23-year-old, right-handed defenceman. Known for his quick footwork and offensive abilities, Dumba would have been a good fit for the Knights. His age would have also fit into Vegas’ long-term plans. He has three seasons of NHL experience and has improved every year. Despite that, if Vegas gave any insight that they were going to pick Dumba, Minnesota would have most likely traded him.
Scandella is a bit older at 27, but he still could have fit into their team. Mostly known for his defensive game, Scandella could have helped make Vegas a tough team to score against. Like Dumba, Minnesota would have most likely moved him if they could not get Vegas to go with a different option.
The Golden Knights decided to draft Erik Haula. Haula was not the best player available, but there is a second part to this pick. The Knights traded their third in 2018 for Alex Tuch, a part of this trade was Vegas taking Haula. I do not believe that this is equal to Matt Dumba, but I will explain why Vegas went with the option at the end of the article.
What Other Options Did They Have?
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The Knights could have gone with a top four defenceman in Dumba or Scandella. They could have also gone with Eric Staal or Darcy Kuemper.
Staal is an offensively talented player with defensive aspects in his game. He could have added a veteran presence to the Knights and be their first line centre. He has great leadership qualities and could have been their first captain. While I think Staal could have been a great addition to Vegas, he is getting older and has started regress over the last couple of seasons.
Kuemper has spent the last few seasons as a backup. He has shown the ability to be a starter, but is too inconsistent to take the role. As a 27-year-old, the time is running out for him become a starter and the risk is too big to take.
Overview
As I stated before, Dumba may not have been available for Vegas to draft him. In my opinion, Dumba is more valuable than Haula and Tuch, plus Vegas traded a third. The reasoning why Vegas most likely did not go with Dumba is because if they did not make the trade before the expansion draft, Minnesota would have most likely traded Dumba. With that being said, Vegas decided the trade was the best option because they would have most likely drafted Haula if Dumba was not available and now they got Tuch for a third because of it.
Next: Expansion Draft Los Angeles Kings (14/30)
Dumba could have been a great addition for the Knights. The problem is he most likely would not have been available if Vegas did not take Minnesota’s trade. Overall, I believe that Haula and Tuch will be a part of the Knights’ long-term plans.