After the Vegas Golden Knights' unfortunate second-round exit against the Edmonton Oilers, many fans were left wondering, "What's next?" and the answer is the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Golden Knights hold six picks through the second and sixth rounds this year, with one pick in the second, third, fourth, and fifth rounds and two in round six.
After quite a bit of speculation on this year's draft class, it's shaping up to have quite a few solid prospects. During the 2024 NHL Draft, Vegas utilized a handful of picks to generate trades and round out their roster a bit more. With those trades, Vegas sent Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals in return for a 2024 3rd-round pick and a 2025 3rd-round pick. In addition, the New Jersey Devils sent Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid to the Golden Knights in return for Paul Cotter and a 2025 3rd-round pick.
The draft will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 27th and June 28th this year. The draft will be decentralized, with team executives, coaches and scouts being absent; instead, they will gather in their respective home market. You can read more about the format of the draft here, in an article posted by Dan Rosen for NHL.com.
Let's take a look at the various options that Kelly McCrimmon and the Golden Knights can choose from...
*The picks are coming from the NHL Central Scouting North American Skaters and International Skaters lists*