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2019 NHL Draft: Vegas Golden Knights bolster blueline with shutdown defenseman

By Andrew Steele-Davis |
BUFFALO, NY - MAY 30: Kaedan Korczak poses for a portrait at the 2019 NHL Scouting Combine on May 30, 2019 at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)
BUFFALO, NY - MAY 30: Kaedan Korczak poses for a portrait at the 2019 NHL Scouting Combine on May 30, 2019 at the HarborCenter in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images)
KELOWNA, BC – FEBRUARY 16: Kaedan Korczak #6 of the Kelowna Rockets stands at the bench during a time out against the Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place on February 16, 2019 in Kelowna, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images)
KELOWNA, BC – FEBRUARY 16: Kaedan Korczak #6 of the Kelowna Rockets stands at the bench during a time out against the Vancouver Giants at Prospera Place on February 16, 2019 in Kelowna, Canada. (Photo by Marissa Baecker/Getty Images) /

The Vegas Golden Knights traded up to select defenseman Kaedan Korczak with the No.41 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft today.

Heading into today’s second round with a treasure chest of eight picks, the Vegas Golden Knights pulled the trigger on an early trade after sending picks No. 48 and No. 82 to the San Jose Sharks.

In return they got the 41st overall pick and they opted to use that to select Korczak, who is a 6’3″, 193 lb defenseman.

It addresses a need for the Golden Knights who have a wealth of puck-playing defensemen in the farm system, but they lack a bona fide shutdown blueliner.

Korczak ticks that box and is a hulking specimen who can lay the body on at will, but is also able to skate well for a player of his size.

Apparently wanting to model his game on the Sharks’ Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Korczak is a rough and rugged type defenseman who could be used on the penalty kill unit for Vegas.

The biggest blemish on Korczak’s copybook is his lack of offensive production having put up four goals and 29 assists for 33 points in 68 games for the Kelowna Rockets in 2018-19.

However, that blow is softened somewhat when you consider that the Knights already have a slew of offensive defensemen in the ilk of Shea Theodore, Nate Schmidt, Nic Hague and Jimmy Schuldt, so the onus won’t be on Korczak as much to produce in the offensive zone.

What they will be getting from Korczak though is a big body who loves to compete against other teams’ top lines, can log up mega minutes and boasts an impressive amount of speed.

Interestingly, Korczak also played in the same Canada U18’s team as new Vegas team-mate, Peyton Krebs, who was selected 17th overall by the franchise on Friday.

Next. NHL Draft 2019: First Round Winners & Losers. dark

You still need shutdown defensemen in the modern-day NHL and the St. Louis Blues proved that size and physicality is still very much in fashion.

Drafting a player of Korczak’s ilk adds a security blanket to Vegas’ blueline and adds some size and power to their depth chart.

It was a smart move by the Vegas Golden Knights who have a flurry of picks left today in which to bolster their farm system and improve their depth chart.

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