You know, I nearly forgot that the NHL Draft started tonight. I was lost in the sauce of offseason content, such as free agency and trades. In fact, I was so entrenched that I forgot that the Draft was going on during some random Friday.
The most noteworthy item for Vegas on this random Friday is that there's no chance that they're getting their second-round pick back. If you remember, the Golden Knights gave up that pick because John Tortorella refused to speak to the media. Hey, who cared about those picks, especially at No. 63, right?
With the NHL Draft upon us, hearing there's been no change of heart on the Vegas Golden Knights relinquishing their second-round pick for "flagrant violations" of the league's playoff media regulations.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 26, 2026
So, the No. 63 pick will remain forfeited tomorrow.
Well, here's the thing. When you're the general manager, Kelly McCrimmon, you want the best veterans around. That means getting Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifin, and Rasmus Andersson on board. Do you want to know what that also means? Sacrificing first-round draft picks to get said players, leading to your next first-round pick being in 2028.
You can point to prospects such as Zach Dean and David Edstrom that fit this particular mold. The objective is to maximize the current Stanley Cup window with proven commodities, compared to unproven players who could be potential busts (Erik Brannstrom, anyone?). Additionally, that philosophy shouldn't change anytime soon, especially with the team's current crop of players. Here's why.
Vegas Golden Knights fans shouldn't get comfy for the first day of the NHL Draft anytime soon for this reason
When you're a team that gets superstars like Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel, your main objective is to bring as many Stanley Cups as possible. You don't think too much about drafting and developing the right way since you know what you're getting.
Granted, that comes with some misses. You can think of Andersson and Anthony Mantha as shining examples of this, where the players don't perform as expected. However, it's much better than watching high first-round picks not perform as expected (see Matty Beniers).
That's a massive difference between the Golden Knights and, say, the Seattle Kraken. Vegas banked on younger players stuck in literal logjams, such as William Karlsson, and saw the fruits of their labor come to life. Compare that to the Kraken, who are already shopping Shane Wright around. Who would you rather be in this situation?
The Kraken situation is a harsh reality check for people big on drafting and developing with high draft picks. Teams like the Ottawa Senators will draft players like Brady Tkachuk, only to *SURPRISE* trade them to teams like the Florida Panthers for more draft picks. Thus, it's worth sitting out the first day of the NHL Draft to continue building your Stanley Cup contention window.
Yes, that will come with certain caveats, such as being the NHL's second-oldest team (30.04 average age). But three Stanley Cup Final appearances and a Stanley Cup in nine seasons are much better than, say, just one Stanley Cup playoff appearance in your first five seasons. It's safe to say that it's worth sitting out the first day of the NHL Draft to contend for a Stanley Cup.
Add us as a preferred source on Google