Man, am I going to miss mock draft season. It gave us countless memes and names to become familiar with. It also gave us a glimpse into what the future holds for the Vegas Golden Knights.
For example, Carson Cameron has practically become a staple of these drafts. The Peterborough Petes defenseman provides a two-way presence for whoever drafts him. Could the prophecies be fulfilled with Kelly McCrimmon picking him up? Stay tuned.
These drafts will be sorely missed until next year rolls around. As for this year? June 27 and 28 are coming up faster than you can imagine. Los Angeles will be the host with the most as the prospects of tomorrow will have their newest teams called in the 2025 NHL Draft.
That leaves us with the boys in gold. Who will be the newest members of the Golden Knights once next week is all said and done?
Here's a hint: There will be some regulars on the board. However, there are more new faces this time around. We're talking about a shift away from the defensive philosophy and more into a well-balanced draft. Let's look into the crystal ball once more and predict who McCrimmon will draft.
For the complete mock draft, click here.
The final Golden Knights mock draft features a unique blend of NHL Draft talent
The mock draft gods gave me one last hurrah before descending into the blue skies. They wanted something unique to go out with a bang. Well? They understood the assignment.
Round | Player | Position |
|---|---|---|
2nd (58) | Tomas Pobezal | C |
3rd (91) | Jacob Rombach | D |
4th (122) | Carson Cameron | D |
5th (154) | Anders Miller | G |
6th (186) | Jordan Gavin | LW |
6th (187) | Jamiro Reber | C |
Of course, you can't have a mock draft without the memes. That means Carson Cameron of the Peterborough Petes is in this draft. He seems to be enjoying his time being projected in the fourth round. Maybe this is a sign to pick him, McCrimmon.
There's also Jacob Rombach, who's familiar in these draft boards. If the Golden Knights need a Nicolas Hague replacement, they should look no further than the Minnesota Golden Gophers commit to get the job done.
But the juicy part comes with the new names. For example, Tomas Pobezal is a Slovakian center who can forecheck aggressively with a hard defensive style. He might not score many goals for you. However, he's an excellent fourth-line player who provides grit and toughness.
The variety comes in the later rounds
After the fourth round, things get interesting. While the Golden Knights already have a gold mine of goaltending talent in the farm system, the draft picked Anders Miller. The Calgary Hitmen netminder was solid in 22 games with a GAA of 2.34 and a save percentage of .909 this past season.
Then there's a prospect from McCrimmon's old stomping grounds, the Brandon Wheat Kings. Jordan Gavin is a winger who brings a cerebral side to the game. That means planning efficient routes, working give-and-goes, and having excellent on-ice vision. Gavin could be a late-round steal if McCrimmon plays his cards right.
Finally, there's Jamiro Reber. The Swiss center seems to be all over the place in various draft boards, going as high as being a potential second-round pick. He's primarily a speed guy who blisters past defenders. But Reber also carries a two-way game with him, making him an ideal fit in the Golden Knights system.
It's only fitting that the NHL Draft gods would give one final mock draft to rule them all. It contains the variety that would even satisfy Adrian Monk's peculiar tendencies. You know that it's a jungle out there (in the NHL, that is), with disorder and confusion everywhere.