OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - What Happens In Vegas: A Golden Knights Story

dannibalcorpse · 04-06-2017, 10:16 PM

The draft lottery this year brought a huge surprise - Calgary vaulted all the way up from #13 to the top pick, while Seattle & Vancouver each jumped up a spot. Boston wound up losing out the most, as they dropped from the #1 overall to 4th, while Vegas would’ve been the second picked and got bumped down to 5th. That being said, here’s how the top ten picks in the draft shook out:

1 (CGY) - D Bowen Byram, WHL
2 (SEA) - D Artemi Knyazev, VHL
3 (VAN) - C Chase Sakic, NCAA
4 (BOS) - D Case McCarthy, OHL
5 (VGK) - LW Peyton Krebs, WHL
6 (PIT) - C Kirby Dach, WHL
7 (CBJ) - RW Isac Anderson, SHL
8 (NJD) - C Harvey Fiske, USNTDP
9 (LAK) - RW John Farinacci, USNTDP
10(TOR)- C Travis Treloar, SHL

VEGAS DRAFT PICK ROUND UP

Round 1 - Pick 5: Peyton Krebs, LW, Kootenay(WHL): Krebs was ranked as the #3 skater available in North America by Central Scouting, with the caveat that he is the most NHL-ready talent available in this year’s draft. He was available at the 5th pick, and Vegas GM Dan Hampton was all too happy to snatch him up. “Peyton is an exceptional talent - he’s an amazing skater with a great scoring touch, and not to mention, a great presence in the locker room.” Krebs scored 64 goals and dished out 93 assists in 129 games with Kootenay, and just turned 18 this past January. Most think he will immediately make the Golden Knights’ roster out of camp, with the only drawbacks to his on-ice game coming on the defensive end. Rumors did come out of Kootenay of him being difficult to work with, but if he lands on a team with strong leaders, he should toe the line.

2 - 2: Aleksandr Zhdanov, C, Lukko(SML): Zhdanov was seen by some as a reach, but scouts within the Golden Knights organization spoke highly of him. “He’s young, only 18, and playing in the top league in Finland. This kid looks like he has a bright future,” Hampton said. Scouts are high on Zhdanov’s playmaking ability, and also his ability in front of the net. He struggled at times in the SML this year, playing 26 games without a point, but was limited to less than 10 minutes of ice time per night. He’s definitely a player that needs some time to evolve, but will have that ability against the strongest competition Finland has to offer.

3 - 2: Taylor Gauthier, G, Prince George(WHL): Gauthier came into the draft as the 4th ranked goalie in North America, and had a strong season as a 17 year old playing starter’s minutes in the WHL. He went 22-11-1, with a 3.19 GAA and .896 SV% - all marked improvements over his age-16 season. With little goalie depth in the organization at this time, this pick was a solid find at this point in the draft for the Golden Knights.

4 - 2: Patrik Juzl, C, Guildford (EPIHL): The Slovakian Juzl made an interesting point to play in the English Premier League as a 17 year old, and has made a strong impression - he scored 15 goals and had 29 assists in 54 games this season. Juzl’s strongest assets are his playmaking ability, and his hockey IQ - scouts say he has great vision on the ice and senses plays before they develop. He was ranked the 8th best skater in Europe by Central Scouting.

5 - 2: Denis Legonkov, D, Torpedo(VHL): Playing in the KHL’s minor leagues, Legonkov saw limited minutes as an 18 year old this past season. He’s seen as a defense-first defenseman, but scouts praise his hockey sense on the ice. Coming into the draft as the #38 ranked European skater, the Kazakh was seen by GM Hampton as a pick made with an eye towards a few years down the line.

6 - 2: Keijo Weibel, D, SC Langnau(JEA): Weibel is a hard one to figure out; he dominated in the Swiss Elite Junior leagues in his age 19-season, skating circles around the competition. Many think the reason for his lower ranking (86th out of European skaters) is his lack of experience against stronger competition. Scouts think he’s got a lower ceiling than most other prospects, but his skating will make him useful and able to pick up the other parts of the game as he gains more ice time.

6 - 19: Ben Evans, C, Ottawa(OHL): Evans had his breakout junior season in his last year of eligibility, putting up a 22-39-61 line in his age-19 year. Evans fits the mold of a player who doesn’t excel at any one aspect of the game, but does a lot of things pretty well. He doesn’t profile as very likely to make the NHL, but serves as a nice depth piece in case of injury.

7 - 2: Koby Morrisseau, LW, Portland(WHL): Morrisseau was the last pick Vegas made in this year’s draft, and strikes some scouts as a possible diamond in the rough. Already 6’4” at 18 years old, he has the size to be a dominant forward in front of the net, and his junior coaches have praised his ability to listen and work with them on his game. He has experience at all 3 forward spots with Portland, and this versatility may be his ticket to the NHL, if only in a 13th-forward type role.

04-06-2017, 10:16 PM	#24
dannibalcorpse Minors (Double A) Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 168	The draft lottery this year brought a huge surprise - Calgary vaulted all the way up from #13 to the top pick, while Seattle & Vancouver each jumped up a spot. Boston wound up losing out the most, as they dropped from the #1 overall to 4th, while Vegas would’ve been the second picked and got bumped down to 5th. That being said, here’s how the top ten picks in the draft shook out: 1 (CGY) - D Bowen Byram, WHL 2 (SEA) - D Artemi Knyazev, VHL 3 (VAN) - C Chase Sakic, NCAA 4 (BOS) - D Case McCarthy, OHL 5 (VGK) - LW Peyton Krebs, WHL 6 (PIT) - C Kirby Dach, WHL 7 (CBJ) - RW Isac Anderson, SHL 8 (NJD) - C Harvey Fiske, USNTDP 9 (LAK) - RW John Farinacci, USNTDP 10(TOR)- C Travis Treloar, SHL VEGAS DRAFT PICK ROUND UP Round 1 - Pick 5: Peyton Krebs, LW, Kootenay(WHL): Krebs was ranked as the #3 skater available in North America by Central Scouting, with the caveat that he is the most NHL-ready talent available in this year’s draft. He was available at the 5th pick, and Vegas GM Dan Hampton was all too happy to snatch him up. “Peyton is an exceptional talent - he’s an amazing skater with a great scoring touch, and not to mention, a great presence in the locker room.” Krebs scored 64 goals and dished out 93 assists in 129 games with Kootenay, and just turned 18 this past January. Most think he will immediately make the Golden Knights’ roster out of camp, with the only drawbacks to his on-ice game coming on the defensive end. Rumors did come out of Kootenay of him being difficult to work with, but if he lands on a team with strong leaders, he should toe the line. 2 - 2: Aleksandr Zhdanov, C, Lukko(SML): Zhdanov was seen by some as a reach, but scouts within the Golden Knights organization spoke highly of him. “He’s young, only 18, and playing in the top league in Finland. This kid looks like he has a bright future,” Hampton said. Scouts are high on Zhdanov’s playmaking ability, and also his ability in front of the net. He struggled at times in the SML this year, playing 26 games without a point, but was limited to less than 10 minutes of ice time per night. He’s definitely a player that needs some time to evolve, but will have that ability against the strongest competition Finland has to offer. 3 - 2: Taylor Gauthier, G, Prince George(WHL): Gauthier came into the draft as the 4th ranked goalie in North America, and had a strong season as a 17 year old playing starter’s minutes in the WHL. He went 22-11-1, with a 3.19 GAA and .896 SV% - all marked improvements over his age-16 season. With little goalie depth in the organization at this time, this pick was a solid find at this point in the draft for the Golden Knights. 4 - 2: Patrik Juzl, C, Guildford (EPIHL): The Slovakian Juzl made an interesting point to play in the English Premier League as a 17 year old, and has made a strong impression - he scored 15 goals and had 29 assists in 54 games this season. Juzl’s strongest assets are his playmaking ability, and his hockey IQ - scouts say he has great vision on the ice and senses plays before they develop. He was ranked the 8th best skater in Europe by Central Scouting. 5 - 2: Denis Legonkov, D, Torpedo(VHL): Playing in the KHL’s minor leagues, Legonkov saw limited minutes as an 18 year old this past season. He’s seen as a defense-first defenseman, but scouts praise his hockey sense on the ice. Coming into the draft as the #38 ranked European skater, the Kazakh was seen by GM Hampton as a pick made with an eye towards a few years down the line. 6 - 2: Keijo Weibel, D, SC Langnau(JEA): Weibel is a hard one to figure out; he dominated in the Swiss Elite Junior leagues in his age 19-season, skating circles around the competition. Many think the reason for his lower ranking (86th out of European skaters) is his lack of experience against stronger competition. Scouts think he’s got a lower ceiling than most other prospects, but his skating will make him useful and able to pick up the other parts of the game as he gains more ice time. 6 - 19: Ben Evans, C, Ottawa(OHL): Evans had his breakout junior season in his last year of eligibility, putting up a 22-39-61 line in his age-19 year. Evans fits the mold of a player who doesn’t excel at any one aspect of the game, but does a lot of things pretty well. He doesn’t profile as very likely to make the NHL, but serves as a nice depth piece in case of injury. 7 - 2: Koby Morrisseau, LW, Portland(WHL): Morrisseau was the last pick Vegas made in this year’s draft, and strikes some scouts as a possible diamond in the rough. Already 6’4” at 18 years old, he has the size to be a dominant forward in front of the net, and his junior coaches have praised his ability to listen and work with them on his game. He has experience at all 3 forward spots with Portland, and this versatility may be his ticket to the NHL, if only in a 13th-forward type role.