Vegas Golden Knights: Prospects to watch out for on Day Two of the Draft

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Theo Rochette #19 of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens skates against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

There’s some prospects that could interest the Vegas Golden Knights on Day Two.

We’re on to Day Two of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft and the Vegas Golden Knights have four picks left to play with.

Round One was kind to the Golden Knights who were able to select a high-end playmaker in forward Brendan Brisson, who put up 59 points (24 G, 35 A) in 45 games for the Chicago Steel in 2019-20, being crowned USHL Rookie of the Year.

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Brisson is an exceptional offensive talent with a lot of upside and he could develop into a real nice NHL player eventually.

Focus is now on Rounds Two through Seven, however, and the Golden Knights aren’t on the board until the Third Round with the No. 68 overall pick.

The latter rounds of the Draft is always a bit of a crapshoot and that will especially be the case this year given the amount of talent left on the board following the conclusion of the First Round.

Plus, it was a quiet day for trades during the First Round and, with the Golden Knights needing to clear cap space and with an eye on Free Agency on Friday, they could end up moving a few of their picks or accumulating more throughout the course of the day.

But, in saying that, should Vegas stand pat and keep all four of their picks then there are some prospects to keep an eye on in all six remaining rounds.

Let’s take a look at a few that could be available to the Golden Knights…

1. Jan Bednar, G, Acadie-Bathurst – QMJHL

We’ll start here because according to Corey Pronman of The Athletic, who was on fire with his First Round predictions, the Vegas Golden Knights could take Jan Bednar with their first pick of Day Two.

Now, given that they have two picks in Round Three and just four selections in today for the remainder of the Draft, I’d say picking a goalie with the No. 68 pick is high.

But, in saying that, I’m not a Draft expert so I could be completely speaking out of turn here.

Anyway, Bednar is an interesting prospect and I can see why Pronman would have the Czech Republic native flying off the board fairly early on Day Two.

After all, according to Elite Prospects, Bednar’s athleticism and toolkit are among the best in this year’s Draft class, and he’ll certainly be a crowd pleaser with some eye-catching glove saves.

He’s able to get to any puck and, at 6-foot-4 and 196 lbs, Bednar is simply a massive specimen between the pipes.

That kind of stature and size is going to be appealing to a plethora of different NHL General Managers, and it could be enough to convince the Golden Knights to part with a Third Round pick.

Bednar is a low-risk, high-reward player and his calmness in net could see him develop into a good NHL starter in the future.

2. Nico Daws, G, Guelph Storm – OHL

Let’s stick with goalies for a minute.

The Athletic had the Golden Knights’ biggest need being goaltending heading into the draft, and that’s pretty accurate when you look at their farm system.

We already looked at a potential solution in the previous slide and Nico Daws could be another interesting option late in the Third Round.

With two Third Round picks, the Golden Knights have some flexibility to be able to address multiple needs and Daws could be a safe pick with their No. 91 overall pick, using the No. 68 pick on a forward or defenseman.

Highly rated by the scouting experts at nhl.com, Daws was passed up in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and wasn’t invited to any rookie development camps.

However, rather than sulk, Daws instead went back to work and lost nearly 30 pounds after completely changing both his lifestyle and his training habits off the ice.

It has paid off dividends for Daws who is almost certain to get drafted this year, and he could be a nice late Third Round pickup for the Golden Knights.

No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American goaltenders, Daws is faster, more athletic and he led the OHL in shutouts with five, to go along with a .924 Save Percentage and a 2.48 Goals Against Average in 38 games.

He boasts a high skillset and, now leaner and more athletic, Nico Daws could develop into a solid NHL goalie for anyone willing to draft him this year.

3. Theo Rochette, C, Quebec Remparts – QMJHL

A defensive forward, Theo Rochette could be a nice compliment to elite playmaker Brendan Brisson, who was taken 29th overall by the Golden Knights in the First Round on Tuesday.

Boasting a high Hockey IQ and able to consistently feed the puck to his teammates, Rochette could offer a hell of a lot of value late in the Third Round should he last that long.

Offering decent enough size at 5-foot-10 and 165 lbs, Rochette is only going to grow and he’s a very good skater with a nonstop motor.

His puck skills are impressive and he can play as a center or as a wing, which is important in the modern day NHL.

One area of weakness, however, is Rochette’s shot simply because he just doesn’t use it enough which is a surprise given how much of a deadly weapon it is.

His release, power and accuracy are all up there and if Rochette can shoot more, then he will develop into one hell of a potent offensive weapon in the NHL.

Rochette is also responsible in his own zone and he’s effective in the faceoff circle, winning over 50 percent of his draws (433-for-869).

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Overall, Theo Rochette has a high compete level and he could become a responsible two-way player who can contribute in both zones and play in all situations.

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