Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft New York Rangers
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 20th team we are going to look at is the New York Rangers.
New York Rangers
The Rangers are getting older, thus their depth has been depreciating over the last few seasons. This was not good for the Knights because they did not have many good options to choose from. Vegas could have went with a defenceman in Kevin Klein or Brendan Smith.
Klein is a top four defensive defenceman. He is able to run a penalty kill and has no fear when blocking shots. The 32-year-old defender would be a great veteran to have around younger players. As somebody who went back and forth between the NHL and AHL to start his career, he could help younger players who go through the same challenges.
Smith is an interesting player. He was looked upon as a top four defenceman at one point, but has been inconsistent over his career. While he is a good defensive defenceman, he does not produce enough. Teams have been transitioning to puck moving, quick thinking players over the last few seasons, which Smith is not. It does not surprise me that Vegas decided not to draft him.
The Golden Knights decided to draft Oscar Lindberg, a 25-year-old centre who can play top nine minutes. He is a solid penalty killer and could have a breakout year. Over his career he has needed some time to adjust to the league he plays in. With that being the case, Lindberg could be a late bloomer and surprise a lot of teams this season. With the Knights not having a number one centre, he could fight for the spot.
What Other Options Did They Have?
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Vegas could have used their pick to draft Klein or Smith. Instead they decided to take Lindberg, which was a solid choice. Two other options were Jesper Fast and Michael Grabner.
Fast is exactly like his name, fast. He is a strong skater, who could have been a solid top nine winger for Vegas. Like Lindberg, it takes him a bit of time to adjust to the league he is playing in. This means, he could become better than he is right now. Fast could be the next Jonathan Marchessault.
Grabner is one of the strongest skaters in the league. He typically has a breakaway almost every game. Last season, he had 27 goals, showing that he has reclaimed his scoring touch. He is one of the best penalty killers in the league, with 13 career short-handed goals. He can also contribute to the power play, making him a difficult player to play against.
Overall, because of Grabner’s inconsistencies over his career, I would say the Golden Knights made the right choice in drafting Lindberg.
Overview
The Knights decided to take Lindberg, which I think was a solid choice. While he has not done much at the NHL level, I expect him to continue his development. They may have found themselves a top nine, possibly even a second line centre. Also, he could be one of their best penalty killers. I am expecting a career year from Lindberg, he looks like he is ready to take the next step. I think he will be able to reach 30+ points this year – his career high is 28.
Next: Expansion Draft New York Islanders
Overall, I believe Lindberg will be able to help Vegas surprise a lot of teams this season.