Let's be honest, dear reader. The Vegas Golden Knights aren't known for making the best draft picks around. Some may say their scouting team sucks and doesn't put in much effort. Some will put on their tinfoil hats and claim this is done by design.
That's how I'd imagine some people in Canada take care of themselves when their teams get eliminated. I'm not picking on the Montreal Canadiens or Winnipeg Jets, either (you know who I mean). They seem like normal people.
Anyways, while Kelly McCrimmon is making a conscious effort to change the narrative, there are some duds in the franchise's history that stand out (for bad reasons, of course). Some higher players didn't even make it to the NHL, leaving the Golden Knights down a player. Others? Well, they were traded since they didn't work out. Sayonara, mi amigo.
Four players come to mind in this scenario. These former prospects either failed from the start or collapsed when given the spotlight. Therefore, they were given the cane and booted off the stage. Let's meet the four "duds" who weren't Vegas's dream dates.
4.) Ivan Morozov
Let's get things started with the Russian forward. Morozov was a second-round draft pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. He was a promising pick who only scored *drumroll, please*... seven goals and 11 assists in 59 games with the Henderson Silver Knights.
While he didn't work out with the Silver Knights, he found his footing with Spartak Moscow of the KHL. Here, he scored 30 goals and 58 assists in two seasons with the Russian club. Sometimes, you need to return home to find your footing.
3.) Cody Glass
A previous post mentioned the responsibilities of being a high first-round draft pick. You're supposed to lead a line in the top-six forward group if you're a center. That's exactly what Cody Glass (sixth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft) dealt with when playing with the Golden Knights.
Unfortunately, he never found his footing, scoring nine goals and 13 assists in two seasons. Combine that with a wave of upper-body and lower-body injuries and you've earned a one-way ticket to Nashville.
2.) Brendan Brisson
Brendan Brisson had all sorts of potential as the 29th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. He made exciting plays in his limited 2023-24 campaign with Vegas, scoring two goals and six assists in 15 games.
But the next season wasn't as forgiving. He didn't get a single point in nine games last season. On top of that, he faltered in Henderson by scoring five goals and 14 assists in 45 games. All this led to him being offloaded to the New York Rangers for some Misfit named Reilly Smith.
I'm sure Golden Knights fans recognize that Smith guy from somewhere.
1.) Jake Leschyshyn
The former second-round draft pick (2017) was given every opportunity to flourish with the Golden Knights. As mentioned, he faltered in every way, scoring two goals and four assists in 63 games.
That led to "Jake Le-Bunch Of Letters" being offloaded to the New York Rangers, a la Brendan Brisson. Now? He's hanging out in the Sabres organization, hoping to unscramble his career before he's tangled up for good.