There's a running gag within the Vegas Golden Knights that concerns the NHL Draft. It involves the first-round pick and how Kelly McCrimmon and company don't have a particular use for them.
There's Brendan Brisson, who was traded for Reilly Smith in March.
There's David Edstrom, who, along with a first-round pick in this year's draft, was traded for Tomas Hertl last season.
There's Zach Dean, who was traded for Ivan Barbashev the year before.
You get the picture. The point is that the Golden Knights and first-round draft picks don't necessarily mix. It's the proverbial water and oil argument (or the Maple Leafs and the Stanley Cup since 1967).
But there's a good reason for that. You see, many first-round draft picks haven't panned out in the NHL. Golden Knights fans are still wondering what could've been with Erik Brannstrom as he screams, "RI-COLAAA" from the top of his lungs. They're also wondering what Peyton Krebs did after the Jack Eichel trade (not much).
It goes beyond that, though. You see, Vegas has struck literal gold with specific players in the NHL Draft. Some players have established themselves as starters with the team, while others are on the rise. Let's look at some shining examples of later draft picks that have been bright stars for Vegas.
The current batch of Golden Knights picked in the NHL Draft
First and foremost, there's the Russian winger (third round, 79th overall) who broke through this season. The 24-year-old led the Golden Knights in goals scored (35), with 13 coming on the power play. He has also shown a drastic improvement from the previous season, cementing himself as a top-six forward (stats courtesy of MoneyPuck).
Season | Goals | Assists | Power Play Goals | Takeaways | Medium Danger xGoals | High Danger xGoals | Corsi | Fenwick |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2024-25 | 35 | 17 | 13 | 24 | 8.88 | 10.35 | 59% | 60% |
2023-24 | 13 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 4.52 | 3.5 | 53% | 54% |
A drastic jump in numbers cemented him as a premier scorer on the Golden Knights. Suddenly, he's integral to the power play and even strength, making him arguably the most valuable NHL Draft pick in franchise history.
Then there's Nicolas Hague (second round, 34th overall). The defenseman might be in a wild rumor mill right now. However, he's proven himself as a defensive stalwart.
He's blocked 489 shots and made 572 hits during his six-year NHL career. He'll become a proven staple of whichever team he plays for, whether it's Vegas next season or with another club.
The upcoming talent can't be forgotten, either
Kaedan Korczak (second round, 41st overall) is one name that comes to mind for upcoming talent. The defenseman did well in his limited time at the NHL level this past season.
He posted 10 assists, 40 blocked shots, and 59 hits in 40 games this season. The year prior, he scored a goal, eight assists, 31 blocked shots, and 43 hits in a brief Golden Knights stint (26 games). Korczak has proven he's capable of playing at the NHL level and filling a starting slot on the blue line.
There's also Lukas Cormier (third round, 68th overall), who's done well with the Henderson Silver Knights in recent years. The defenseman has 14 goals and 50 assists in three seasons with the AHL club. Cormier also had a wild stint with Team Canada during the 2021-22 World Junior Championship, scoring a goal and four assists.
The joke has always been that the Vegas Golden Knights don't care about their first-round draft picks (look away, Trevor Connelly). But that doesn't mean that McCrimmon and company aren't keen on developing home-grown talent.
These four players are living proof that the Golden Knights can hit a home run in the development field. In fact, they can become much more in the future and develop into key pieces for a Stanley Cup run.
Now that's no joke.