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Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Montreal Canadiens

By Michael Joubran |
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: Alexei Emelin 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: Alexei Emelin 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)

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 sixteenth team we are going to look at is the Montreal Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens finished seventh in the league in points, but their depth is not the greatest. Despite that, the Knights had a couple of good options to choose from. Two veterans, who were available, are Alexander Radulov and Andrei Markov.

Radulov came back to the NHL last season, after spending the last eight seasons in the KHL – he played in 9 games for the Nashville Predators in 2011-12. In 76 games, he produced 54 points and was a key player on the Habs power-play. He is a strong skater and a good stick-handler and could have been a strong addition to the Knights. With him being a UFA, it was a smart decision to not pick him.

Markov has been a Hab for his entire career. With a lot of NHL experience, he could have been a great addition to Vegas’ backend. Like Radulov he was a UFA and could have left the team if he wanted to. Considering the Habs did not resign him and he is currently playing in the KHL, the Knights made a smart decision.

Vegas ended up choosing a different Russian from Montreal, Alexei Emelin. Emelin has six years of NHL experience and plays a very defensive game. He could have been a decent addition to Vegas’ defensive core, but they traded him to Nashville for a third round pick in 2019. I believe that was a smart choice since they already have a lot of NHL ready defenceman.

What Other Options Did They Have?

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The Knights could have gone with veterans in Radulov or Markov. They also could have drafted a younger player in Charles Hudon or Nikita Nesterov.

Hudon does not have much NHL experience, but he has shown the ability to play in the league. He is a good skater and could play in a bottom six role. He is very productive in the AHL and if he could transition to the NHL, he could become a good player. I believe that Hudon would have been the best choice for the Knights.

Nesterov has shown the ability to be an offensive defenceman. Despite his offensive abilities, he is not a strong skater, which is very important in today’s NHL. If he could find a way to have better footwork, he could be a top four defenceman. Despite that, he is now playing in the KHL, meaning Vegas made a good choice.

Overview

In my opinion, Hudon would have been the best choice for Vegas. Emelin got them a third round pick, but Hudon could have become a long-term player for the team. Despite that, Emelin was still a decent choice for the team, just not the best. The third round pick is two drafts away, but it could become something for the Knights. Or they can trade it with another player for an upgrade on their roster.

Next: Expansion Draft Minnesota Wild (15/30)

Overall, Emelin got Vegas a third round pick, but Hudon was the best option.

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