Why the Vegas Golden Knights should trade their first-round pick

'Twas the night before the NHL Draft,
And all through the house.
Not a creature was stirring,
Not even Brad Marchand, the... mouse (okay, he's a rat).

The skates were hung by the rink with care,
In hopes that Lord Stanley soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in Vegas Golden Knights gear,
With visions of Jack Eichel and the Stanley Cup in their heads all year.

Tomorrow is the 2024 NHL Draft at the Sphere in Las Vegas, marking the first time it's ever been held in the city. It's becoming a premier hockey city with Gary Bettman going all-in on Sin City for more big-time events. In turn, Las Vegas is also becoming a hub for NHL fans everywhere.

That also means the mock drafts and speculation will come to an end. Will fans see Mitch Marner moved or do the Toronto Maple Leafs balk? Do the Golden Knights move contracts to make room in the salary cap? These are questions which will be resolved by the end of Saturday.

Speaking of movements, there's a good reason why general manager Kelly McCrimmon and the Vegas Golden Knights should move their first-round pick. Considering the team must move off some cap space first, it might sound ludicrous. But that can also be a good reason why they should consider this. What other motives could make the Golden Knights do this?

The Vegas Golden Knights have multiple issues before the NHL Draft

Kelly McCrimmon has a stressful job right now. He's trying to create salary cap space and re-sign a key "Golden Misfit" in Jonathan Marchessault. The winger scored 42 goals in a contract year and has proven his worth to the team. Why not package a player like Shea Theodore, Logan Thompson, or Adin Hill with said pick to... get more picks?

In turn, that clears salary cap space AND gets more draft capital to the Vegas Golden Knights. Considering Vegas doesn't have the farm system of a franchise like the Detroit Red Wings or Anaheim Ducks, they can bump up its worth and replenish the prospect pool. In this scenario, a trade would fetch at least three decent picks.

Historically, the Golden Knights don't hold onto their picks

The Golden Knights aren't known for holding onto their first-round NHL Draft picks. Former first-round players like Cody Glass and Erik Brannstrom have been dealt for different reasons. That includes getting key players like Mark Stone and using a backup plan to acquire a different player. Vegas has drafted well in later rounds, picking up starting-12 forwards such as Pavel Dorofeyev and Paul Cotter.

Trading the first-round pick could offer the Vegas Golden Knights the opportunity to draft more Cotter's and Dorofeyev's. It solves the team's depth issue at the forward position and will give them a surplus in other aspects. For example, there isn't much in the line of defensive prospects other than Lukas Cormier. Here, they can use a mid-round pick (if acquired) to make that selection.

Yes, there are arguments to be made for Kelly McCrimmon to hold onto that pick. Some people see quality as being better than quantity, hoping Vegas can draft a solid winger. There are viable options such as Trevor Connelly and Igor Chernyshov that await the team at No. 19. However, it's also best to reload for future considerations, whether it's continuing to get more great players or stock the farm system.