Golden Knights 2022 Draft Recap
Jul 20, 2022 19:56:52 GMT -5
Philadelphia Flyers, Vancouver Canucks, and 4 more like this
Post by Vegas Golden Knights on Jul 20, 2022 19:56:52 GMT -5
The Vegas GM went into their third draft with only one draft pick in their arsenal but came away with four draft picks following the conclusion of the draft. Here's a recap of the series of moves that lead to the additional picks and summaries of the latest Golden Knights to be ushered into the club.
Trade 4:
Trade 1:
Vegas trades Max Comtois to the New York Rangers for Picks 52 & 95
Vegas recouped two picks for the second year forward who endured a significant sophomore slump. For Vegas' sake, they hope this isn't another repeat of giving up too early on a Ducks forward, after trading Troy Terry the previous year to New York but the pending RFA Comtois was a casualty of Vegas' cap crunch.
Trade 2:
Vegas trades Pick 10 to Vancouver for Pick 18 & Erik Johnson
With their eyes set on a certain player, Vegas felt they could trade back to recoup additional assets while still drafting their target. Acquiring Erik Johnson addressed a pressing need for the Golden Knights, who needed to shore up their defense with the inevitable departures of Jamie Oleksiak and Nikita Zadorov to free agency.
Trade 3:
Vegas trades Pick 18 to Chicago for Pick 20 & Pick 56
Trade 4:
Vegas trades Pick 20 & 52 to Toronto for Pick 16
Recognizing an opportunity to gain an additional second round pick before attempting to move up, Vegas agreed to the first trade with Chicago to move back to 20 before trading back up to 16 for the extra insurance of drafting their first round target.
Trade 5:
Vegas trades 2023 Florida 2nd to the New York Rangers for Pick 71 & 2023 Winnipeg 3rd
Watching a player they almost selected with their second round pick fall down the draft board, Vegas pounced at the opportunity to move into the early part of Round 3 to select another player that the team highly regarded.
The four prospects the Golden Knights selected are as follows:
Buchinger is a two way defenseman from the OHL who ranked fourth in scoring amongst defenseman while exhibiting a strong two way game for the Guelph Storm. Buchinger has the skillset to grow into a NHL player but his upside may be limited to a 4-6 defenseman. With an organizational need on the backend, Vegas is hoping Buchinger will grow into his potential and be a fixture on the future backend for the Golden Knights.
Vegas walked away from the draft with four players they had targeted and are thrilled to welcome the next wave of Golden Knights. Vegas also addressed a pressing need in shoring up their defense with the acquisition of Erik Johnson so they are happy with how their third VHL draft unfolded. Expect Vegas to be quiet for the remainder of the offseason, with limited cap space and two key unsigned RFAs in Michael Bunting and Noah Hanifin, Vegas does not expect to be very active in the upcoming free agency period. Probably for the best given their poor history during the bidding season (i.e Tyler Johnson, Mikhail Grigorenko, Braden Holtby).
The four prospects the Golden Knights selected are as follows:
Round 1 Pick 16 - LW, Liam Ohgren - SHL, Djurgardens IF
The Golden Knights were very high on Ohgren. Identified as an all-around gem, who is strong in every aspect of the game. Ohgren may not necessarily excel in any one skill to distinguish himself as the best in the draft class in any aspect but he is strong all around with no identifiable weaknesses. Vegas believes they are drafting a future NHLer in Ohgren, who they envision could be a leader for the Golden Knights in the future, like he was for Team Sweden at the U18s World Championship as their captain.
Round 2 Pick 56 - C, Paul Ludwinski - OHL, Kingston Frontenacs
Ludwinski was a player Vegas had considered a late first rounder, so the team was thrilled to see he was still available at their draft slot. Ludwinski has a strong hockey IQ which should help him reach the NHL. The team believes he was a safe pick to be a future NHLer but his upside remains to be seen. Ludwinski was a top pick in the OHL but missed his rookie season due to the pandemic so his draft year was technically his rookie season where he posted 43 points in 67 GP. The Golden Knights are hoping Ludwinski hits his potential, which could see his production sky rocket with more seasoning.
Round 3 Pick 71 - LW, Dmitri Buchelnikov - MHL, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg
Buchelnikov screams boom or bust. Like many Russian players, his raw skill is impressive and he has a knack for scoring. Buchelnikov's size or his 200 ft. game could limit him from making it to the next level, but the Golden Knights liked his potential. An over ager, Buchelnikov was considered under scouted in the previous year but when the NHL Red Wings took a chance on his potential in Round 2, the VHL Golden Knights were happy to take the same gamble as Stevie Y.
Round 3 Pick 95 - D, Michael Buchinger - OHL, Guelph Storm
Buchinger is a two way defenseman from the OHL who ranked fourth in scoring amongst defenseman while exhibiting a strong two way game for the Guelph Storm. Buchinger has the skillset to grow into a NHL player but his upside may be limited to a 4-6 defenseman. With an organizational need on the backend, Vegas is hoping Buchinger will grow into his potential and be a fixture on the future backend for the Golden Knights.
Vegas walked away from the draft with four players they had targeted and are thrilled to welcome the next wave of Golden Knights. Vegas also addressed a pressing need in shoring up their defense with the acquisition of Erik Johnson so they are happy with how their third VHL draft unfolded. Expect Vegas to be quiet for the remainder of the offseason, with limited cap space and two key unsigned RFAs in Michael Bunting and Noah Hanifin, Vegas does not expect to be very active in the upcoming free agency period. Probably for the best given their poor history during the bidding season (i.e Tyler Johnson, Mikhail Grigorenko, Braden Holtby).
