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Vegas Golden Knights: Expansion Draft St. Louis Blues

By Michael Joubran

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 21: David Perron 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: David Perron 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 25th team we are going to look at is the St. Louis Blues.

St. Louis Blues

The Blues have one of the deepest teams in the NHL, this was a huge benefit for the Knights. They could have went with a former first overall pick in Nail Yakupov or a former seventh round pick in Carl Gunnarsson.

Yakupov was the first overall pick in the 2012 NHL draft, but has not reached the potential he showed in juniors. While he is a strong skater, he has troubles creating enough space for himself to make a scoring opportunity. If given more ice time and power play time, he could increase his productivity.

Gunnarsson is a top six defenceman, who can play in the top four when needed. He is a solid penalty killer and a good leader. While he does not produce much – only 6 points in 56 games last season – he has a strong defensive game to make up for it.

The Golden Knights decided to draft David Perron, which I think was a solid choice. The 29-year-old right-winger is a good skater and has above average playmaking abilities. He will be a top six player for Vegas and a leader for the younger players. He can also play on the penalty kill and the power play, making him a dynamic player.

What Other Options Did They Have?

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Vegas could have went with one of Yakupov or Gunnarsson. While both have their strengths, the weaknesses of their game could hurt the Knights. VGK could have also drafted Dmitrij Jaskin or Ty Rattie.

Jaskin is a 24-year-old left-winger, who still needs another step in his game. While he is a good skater, like Yakupov, he has troubles creating space for himself. He has shown glimpses of becoming a really good player, but needs to have a better two-way game. While he can play in a bottom six role, his speed can help him earn a top six role if he can produce more.

Rattie does not have much NHL experience, but has shown that he can play in a bottom six role. He has 10 points over 35 games – spanning over four different seasons. While those numbers are not great, he has not been given many chances to earn a name for himself. If given the chance, he could surprise a lot of teams.

Overview

Vegas decided to draft Perron, which I think was the best choice for them. His leadership qualities and experience could be very valuable to the Knights. His 10 years of experience could be used to help younger players in Vegas’ lineup. While the Knights could have gone with Yakupov, considering he was a free agent and did not sign with the team, they made a smart choice in not choosing him.

Next: Expansion Draft San Jose Sharks (24/30)

Overall, I believe the Golden Knights made a smart decision in choosing Perron.

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