For the first time in the city's history, Las Vegas will host the NHL Draft at the Sphere. The event starts on Friday at 4 PM PST, with the first-round picks selected by various NHL teams. That includes the Vegas Golden Knights, who hold the 19th overall pick in this year's draft.
It's funny because the Golden Knights aren't keen on holding onto their high draft picks. Rather, they're shipped out to different teams for better players, with the franchise in win-now mode. That's the price one pays for success in sports, for nothing is handed out.
Granted, time will tell about whether these first-round picks thrive or not. Some have succeeded or found regular roles elsewhere (Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom). Some are still in the team's farm system, getting ready to take the next step (Brendan Brisson). Some were even sent to other teams for key players (see Peyton Krebs for Jack Eichel).
But what if there was a historical pick selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the top ten of one NHL Draft? That's right! It's hard to believe, yet it's true. For all the success the franchise has had historically, they did select within the first ten picks. So who's this mysterious man who was drafted by Vegas?
Cody Glass was the highest draft pick selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL Draft (sixth overall)
In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights held the sixth overall pick in the NHL Draft. It was part of the franchise's start, where the team would have a foundation to build on. So who was the "lucky" person selected? Cody Glass, who played in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks before the NHL.
The bad news was that the center was included in a trade to the Nashville Predators on July 17, 2021. He was part of a three-team deal that also involved the Philadelphia Flyers. The 25-year-old did have a nice season in 2022-23 with Nashville, scoring 14 goals and 21 assists. However, his AHL campaign the year before was even better, where he tallied 48 assists with the Milwaukee Admirals.
Will Golden Knights fans see another top NHL Draft pick traded away?
As it stands, it's unlikely to happen. The Vegas Golden Knights are tight on cap space, currently at $6.1 million with LTIR included. While there have been conversations about bringing in Mitch Marner, the team's main priority should be re-signing Jonathan Marchessault. He's bolstered various aspects of the team offensively, including the power play. Why not give that prospect a chance to develop?
Plus, the prospect pool needs some new blood in it. Therefore, the 19th overall pick looks to stick around for a while with Vegas. While Cody Glass's trade made sense with the team having plenty of prospect capital, those days are gone. Now, it's time for whoever's selected to stay for the long haul.