Well, I didn't expect this, yet here we are. The Golden Knights actually had a first-round pick in the NHL Draft.
The Vegas Golden Knights pulled off one of the all-time shockers on Friday, trading Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers. In turn, they got the 26th overall pick in this season's NHL Draft, a top-10 protected conditional first-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, and the 92nd overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. So, what were the Golden Knights going to do with said pick?
Well, you trade the 26th pick to the Montreal Canadiens while getting a 2027 third-round pick, TRADE with the Anaheim Ducks to get the 117th pick, and select Juho Piiparinen with the 29th overall pick.
What a chain of events.
The 17-year-old defenseman hails from Finland and has drawn rave reviews from his peers. We're talking about being a consensus first-round pick who would've gone mid-to-late in the first round. He also has size to his name, coming in at 6'3" and weighing 203 pounds.
With the first round over and the shock settling down, let's look at what the Finnish draft pick brings to the table. What should Golden Knights fans watch for as the newest Golden Knight comes to Sin City?
What makes Juho Piiparinen unique for the Vegas Golden Knights?
On the surface, Piiparinen's numbers don't exactly jump out. The most assists he record was in 2022-23, when he notched 16 with the Pelicans U16 club in Finland (27 games). However, those sample sizes are smaller than people would like to believe, leaving more to be examined.
Looking at the Finnish youngster's game, you'll see that he's adept at moving the puck. The 17-year-old has a great two-way game, skating without much effort across the ice. He's sound in playing the defensive end and can generate some scoring opportunities in the offensive zone.
Fans will also like his responsible puck play as a defenseman. Piiparinen knows how to take care of the puck, keeping in out of the hands of his opponents. Of course, that should be the job of every NHL player. But the 17-year-old's big frame makes this easier to do.
On a chaotic night where not many people saw Pavel Dorofeyev being traded, the Golden Knights made some good pick-building moves. That includes Piiparinen, who has the potential to be a long-term fixture in the lineup.
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