Vegas Golden Knights: The pros and cons of a June Draft

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Payton Krebs reacts after being selected seventeenth overall by the Vegas Golden Knights during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019. /

Pro 3 – No Conditional

One of the biggest drawbacks for hosting the 2020 NHL Entry Draft before the fate of the 2019-20 season is known is all the conditional picks that will be up in the air.

There will be 15 trades that will need the completion of the postseason, and it will be fascinating to see how the NHL swim in those murky waters.

The good news for the Golden Knights is that they don’t have any conditional picks this year to worry about.

As a result, the Knights won’t have to fret about any added complications during what will be a very complex Draft due to the current climate we now live in.

The only worry the Golden Knights will have is where they pick in the First Round, which could be decided by points percentage if the Draft does indeed take place before the conclusion of 2019-20.

Paul Stastny of the Vegas Golden Knights takes a break during a stop in play in the second period of a game against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on March 1, 2020. /

Con 3 – Team Building

No matter what shape hockey comes back in, the Vegas Golden Knights will be a postseason team and they will get the chance to battle for the Stanley Cup.

In normal circumstances, the Knights would use the Draft as way to fill any holes on the roster while replenishing the farm system.

However, if the 2020 NHL Entry Draft takes place in June, then that changes the landscape quite a bit for the Golden Knights.

For instance, and as mentioned in the previous slide, it will be difficult if not impossible to use the Draft as a means to improve the roster now without knowing the fate of the 2019-20 season.

It could be that the Golden Knights go on and win the Stanley Cup and, as such, roster tinkering won’t be a huge concern.

But, if they crash out early again, then General Manager Kelly McCrimmon may feel the need to make an aggressive trade using the franchise’s First Round Draft Pick.

You won’t be able to do that in a June Draft this year given that teams won’t be willing to give up players in a trade with hockey still to be played and no indication of what might happen during the summer months.

Another caveat at play here is the fact that the salary cap won’t be determined for 2020-21 heading into the Draft.

While likely to be frozen at $81.5 million, teams can’t operate on a maybe and, as a result, that could also hinder the Golden Knights.

For example, Vegas could in theory look to free up some cap space by shopping center Paul Stastny and his $6,500,000 cap hit.

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However, the Golden Knights would need Stastny for down the stretch and during the postseason so dealing the forward at the Draft wouldn’t be an option, while his value may have decreased by the time the actual off-season rolls round.

All in all, if the 2020 NHL Entry Draft does take place in June before hockey returns, then it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out for the Vegas Golden Knights and the impact it may have.

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