NHL Mock Draft 2020: Vegas Golden Knights select Lapierre with No.29 pick
And with the No. 29 overall pick, the Vegas Golden Knights select…
It is Day One of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and the Vegas Golden Knights will get the chance to add an absolute stud to their franchise.
This year’s Draft is loaded with talent throughout and the First Round in particularly is rich with high-end prospects.
Therefore, plenty of stars of the future will go off the board during the First Round later today, which is due to get underway at 4:00 p.m. PT.
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Granted, the Draft this year will have a different feel to it as it will be hold virtually due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but it should still be a hell of a lot of fun.
And it will be a big night for the Golden Knights, who will have the opportunity to draft a very, very good prospect that could be ready to make an impact in the NHL sooner rather than later.
So, without further ado, here’s who we think the Vegas Golden Knights will select in the First Round…
With the 29th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, the Vegas Golden Knights select forward Hendrix Lapierre.
Hendrix Lapierre, C, Chicoutimi Sagueneens – QMJHL
This is a bold prediction and we could end up looking incredibly silly by the time the First Round is complete later tonight such is the uncertainty around Hendrix Lapierre.
A top ten pick on talent alone, Lapierre boasts all the intangibles you would want in a high-end NHL prospect and he has the skillset needed to thrive on the biggest stage.
However, health issues have scared off some General Managers and, as a result, Lapierre’s Draft stock has tumbled somewhat.
Plagued by a scary history of concussions, three to be precise, medical experts have now argued that Lapierre actually suffered a spinal injury that sparked concussion-like symptoms.
That new information, coupled with the fact that Lapierre has five points (3 G, 2 A) in two games for Chicoutimi this season, has seen the forward’s stock dramatically rise again and that could result in a team using a mid First Round pick on him.
Make no bones about it, Lapierre will be seen as a high risk / high reward type of player and the fact that this Draft is so deep with offensive talent could see the left shot slide in the First Round.
And, in our Mock Draft, we predict that Lapierre will slide right into the laps of the Golden Knights who have made it clear that they will pick the best player available at No. 29.
If Lapierre is still there that late then he will absolutely be the best player available and, if he can stay healthy, then he could morph into a future star for the Golden Knights.
A highly-skilled and intelligent forward, Lapierre went on an absolute tear at the last Hlinka Gretzky Tournament with 11 points (3 G, 8 A) in five games and he certainly boasts plenty of upside.
An elite puck-carrier, Lapierre is also a good size at six feet, 181 pounds and he could develop into a real high-end two way center in the NHL eventually.
Compared to Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Lapierre will only grow as he gets older and he has the skills and the mentality to be able to play a real 200 foot game and excel in both zones, while he could be an effective force in the faceoff circle.
Also Lapierre is an absolute creative force and he can be an elite playmaker at both 5-on-5 and on the power play, making him a valuable commodity in the National Hockey League.
A finalist for the 2019-20 Michael-Bossy Trophy, awarded to the best professional prospect emerging from the QMJHL, Lapierre could be the steal of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and he would be a perfect fit for the Golden Knights, who could do with adding another elite center prospect to go along with 2017 pick Cody Glass.
Next. End could be nigh for Fleury. dark
If Hendrix Lapierre falls into the lap of the Vegas Golden Knights, as Peyton Krebs did at the 2019 NHL Draft, then it could well be looked back upon as a huge stroke of luck in a few years if the forward can stay healthy and live up to his lofty potential.