In the previous NHL Mock Draft simulation, the Vegas Golden Knights selected a controversial forward in Trevor Connelly. The player had all the talent in the world, only for him to make some questionable decisions along the way. Character issues plagued the prospect's draft stock, leaving him in the mid-to-late part of the first round in draft boards.
So things should be a little different this time around, right? Did the Golden Knights go in a different direction in this iteration of the mock draft? They did this by selecting Igor Chernyshov, a Russian winger from Dynamo Moskva of the KHL. The team doesn't have to worry about any incoming scandals from Chernyshov aside from him potentially returning to the KHL.
In the previous draft profile, there were numerous benefits highlighted with drafting the Russian forward. One example was his size, where he stood at 6'2". Vegas has a similar player in Ivan Barbashev, a punishing first-line player who's not afraid to lay out opponents at will.
The Dynamo Moskva star uses his size for different means, though. He likes to crash the net, moving towards the goaltender with full force before taking a scoring opportunity. Of course, he also uses his big frame for winning puck battles, getting down and dirty at every chance.
How did the rest of the NHL Mock Draft shake out? Where did Trevor Connelly fall in this version? The draft was made courtesy of FCHockey, with the previous iteration being made there. But let's move on and see what else shook out from the mock draft, including a late-round surprise.
The Vegas Golden Knights go big with their first three picks
The Vegas Golden Knights place great emphasis on being a bigger team than their opponents. They were the second-tallest this season (74.1 inches on average, 0.1 behind the Dallas Stars) and were the heaviest NHL team (207.9 lbs on average). In this NHL Mock Draft, that motif is emphasized again, with Vegas selecting Igor Chernyshov, Jack Berglund, and Svante Sjodin.
It's been previously mentioned how the Russian winger has the size to fit into the team seamlessly. He would be a similar player to Barbashev, using his physicality to dictate the play. However, Berglund was selected in this version much later. His size could also help the team in many ways. How, you might ask?
He's great off the puck, making plays on the backcheck. Offensively, he uses that size to deter oncoming defenders from taking the puck away. Whether he's in front of the net or skating down the ice, he can be difficult to maintain. The Vegas Golden Knights have made a living off players with good physical attributes and a 200-ft. game. Like Chernyshov, Berglund would fit in with the franchise easily.
As for Sjodin, he works hard at every juncture. He puts himself on the line every play, whether in the offensive or defensive zone. That's an admirable trait for NHL teams to consider, specifically for Vegas. They live and breathe fighting for every puck, where the big center fits in seamlessly. Now what happened to Trevor Connelly? The Tri-City Storm prospect went to the Washington Capitals at No. 17.