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Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft Ottawa Senators

By Michael Joubran

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: Marc Methot 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: Marc Methot 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 21st team we are going to look at is the Ottawa Senators.

Ottawa Senators

Most hockey fans were surprised by how successful the Sens were last season. Despite what some believe, their depth was very good. This was an advantage for the Knights because it gave them a couple of good options to choose from. They could have drafted Bobby Ryan or Clarke MacArthur.

Ryan is a top six forward, who has 10 years of NHL experience. Last season his production dropped to 25 points in 62 games. Despite that, he produced 15 points in 19 games, showing what he is capable of. With a cap hit of $7,250,000 until 2022, it is not surprising that Vegas did not draft Ryan.

MacArthur, when healthy, is a very effective player. Over the last two seasons, he has played in eight regular season games and 19 playoff games. In his last full season (2014-15, he still missed a couple of games), he had 36 points in 62 games. Considering his problems with concussions and a cap hit of $4,650,000, the Knights made the smart choice to not pick him.

The Golden Knights decided to draft Marc Methot. While he could have been a good leader for the team, they traded him to the Dallas Stars. In return, Vegas received goaltender Dylan Ferguson and a second round pick in 2020. Considering their other options, this was a good option for the Knights. They get a young goaltender prospect in Ferguson and a future prospect or trading asset in the second round pick.

What Other Options Did They Have?

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The Knights could have drafted Ryan or MacArthur. Both are leaders but there would be a negative to drafting each of them. Ryan has too big of a cap hit and MacArthur is injury prone. They decided to draft Methot and trade him, which I think was a good option. They could have also gone with Mike Condon or Chris Wideman.

Condon is a solid NHL backup. He is able to play in a starting role if needed to as well. The 27-year-old would have been a decent pickup for Vegas. He has good reflexes and speed, but his positioning still needs some work. If he can improve that aspect of his game, he could become an NHL starter.

Over Wideman’s career, he has always needed some time to get used to the league he is playing in. He plays a good two-way game and could potentially become a top four defenceman. He is a strong skater and has an average hockey sense. While I believe he would have been a good choice, I do not believe he is worth a second – which Vegas got for Methot.

Overview

The Golden Knights decided drafting Methot was the best option and I have to agree with them. While Ryan is a great player, his cap hit is too high for how he has performed over the last couple of seasons. MacArthur has not played a full 82 games season since the 2010-11 season, which was the only 82 games season he has played in his career. Condon is a solid backup, but the Knights have good goaltenders already. Wideman could surprise a lot of teams, but he would have been a risky pick.

Next: Expansion Draft New York Rangers

Overall, I believe that Methot was the best choice. By trading him, Vegas is helping their long-term plans. Nobody knows how strong the 2020 draft will be, meaning they could find a potential star with that second round pick. Or they could package it in a deal for an upgrade to their roster.

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