Who did the Vegas Golden Knights select first in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft?

Find out who the Vegas Golden Knights selected first in the historic 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

Three-time Stanley Cup champion Marc-Andre Fleury might be the face of the Vegas Golden Knights, but the 2003 first overall draft-pick wasn’t actually the team’s first selection in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

While Fleury was formally introduced as one of the Golden Knights’ original picks at the 2017 NHL Awards, another NHL masked man was selected prior to “Flower” at the expansion draft.

Aside from a team’s protected list for the expansion draft, Vegas was granted access to select one player from all 30 NHL teams. Since the Colorado Avalanche finished in last place for the entire league in 2016-17, the Golden Knights first drafted from the Avs.

Vegas then selected goaltender Calvin Pickard from Colorado with that pick.

Prior to being drafted by Vegas, Pickard spent three seasons with the Avs while posting a 28-44-6 record. Now, keep in mind those numbers are arguably deceiving considering that Colorado was in a serious rebuilding stage in comparison to the Stanley Cup contender it is at the present time.

Still, Vegas opted to trade the 2010 second-round draft pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to the start of the 2017-18 campaign. In return, Sin City acquired a 2018 sixth-round draft pick and forward Tobias Lindberg. For the record, Lindberg has played in six career NHL games and none of which were with Vegas.

The short-lived Golden Knight dressed in one game for Toronto in 2017-18, and eventually split time between the Philadelphia Flyers and Arizona Coyotes last season.

The 27-year-old is currently a member of the Detroit Red Wings organization. Still, it should be interesting to see if Pickard ever ends up back with Vegas or faces-off with the Golden Knights in an important matchup in the near future.

No, Pickard doesn’t appear to be a legitimate starting NHL goaltender  – but there’s nothing sweeter than a replacement masked man turning heads when it matters most and at an unexpected time.

Don’t believe us? Just ask the 13 skaters who are currently on Vegas’ roster from the expansion draft.