The Golden Knights entered with nine picks in the 2019 Draft. Here’s a quick rundown of what we know about each player selected by the Golden Knights in the 2019 NHL Draft.
1st Round – #17 Overall
Selection: Peyton Krebs (C) – Kootenay Ice (WHL)
Krebs is an elite talent who tore his Achilles tendon in early June. He was projected as a potential top-five pick but fell all the way to #17. Krebs is a 200-foot player that is a playmaker and described as a “constant difference maker.” He’s a two-way center who played on one of the worst teams in the WHL, yet he still put up 86 points.
Krebs is an excellent passer who has terrific vision as well. He’s a high-end skater who has very good speed and good burst. He’s also described as a player with excellent creativity.
Krebs was the captain of his WHL team the Kootenay Ice. He was also the captain of the Team Canada U18 team. Krebs led both teams in points.
Vegas was one of the meetings that I came out of and I felt really good about. They felt like family from the get go and so happy to be picked by them. -Krebs
I absolutely love Krebs game. I’ve said thi all year long. He drives the bus. He’s a line driver. Think Turcotte light. #NHLDraft
— Mark Edwards (@MarkEdwardsHP) June 22, 2019
He’s a very mature kid. He does everything possible off ice to make himself better. He goes full out effort all the time on the ice. He’s skilled, he can skate, he can make so many plays. I expect him to be an explosive top-six forward in the NHL. –James Patrick, Winnipeg Ice coach to The Athletic
"I wanted to go to a place where I get the shivers every time I walk in the building. So, I think Vegas will do that. I'm pretty pumped." – Krebs on his excitement to play in Vegas. #VegasBorn
— Ryan The Hockey Guy (@RyanHockeyGuy) June 22, 2019
Krebs was ranked in the top five of all prospects by @grantmccagg of https://t.co/VUkebW830Y for Best Playmaker (4th), Best Sense (4th), Best Defensive Forward (4th), and Most Competitive (4th).
Only 1 other player was listed in 4 of the 8 categories, that's Jack Hughes.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 22, 2019
**TRADE**
Vegas acquires pick #41 for #48 and #82
2nd Round – #41 Overall (from SJS)
Selection: Kaedan Korczak (D) – Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
A well-rounded defenseman who skates well for his size. He’s steady in all areas and is considered one of the best defensive defenseman available in this Draft. He’s a 6’3″ right-handed defenseman who is very strong physically.
The Golden Knights traded up, ahead of Minnesota and Chicago to select Korczak forfeiting one of their 3rd round picks to make the deal happen.
"Just a steady reliable guy on the back end. I’ll take guys like him every year." -NHL Scout
"No real weakness and I think he's just scratching the surface. I see a lot of room to grow.” -NHL Scout(These quotes were published in the @ScoutingService Black Book)
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 22, 2019
3rd Round – #79 Overall
Selection: Pavel Dorofeyev (F) – Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Russia)
Dorofeyev is a skilled forward with a deadly shot. He is said to be very calm with the puck and has the ability to create time and space while holding the puck. He has a sneaky release on his shot which can be deceptive to many goalies.
He’s listed at 167 pounds, becoming the lightest forward the Golden Knights have ever selected.
George McPhee traveled to Russia last Summer presumably to speak to Nikita Gusev and watch Vladimir Tkachyov. However, he was just a short drive from Magnitogorsk, where Dorofeyev played and scored 17 goals in 19 games.
McPhee called it a vacation. I call it something else.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 22, 2019
3rd Round – #86 Overall (from NSH)
Selection: Layton Ahac (D) – Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL)
Another one of the best defensive defensemen in the Draft, Ahac is a two-way player who plays in all situations. He does have considerable defensive upside as well scoring 32 points in 53 games in the BCHL. Ahac is a good skater, especially for his 6’2″ frame.
This kid is a dark-horse prospect for me that I think has some real upside. – Hockey Prospects Scout, Brad Allen from the NHL Black Book
4th Round – #110 Overall
Selection: Ryder Donovan (F) – Duluth East (Minnesota High School)
A tall strong skating forward, Donovan lit it up at the high school level. He has a long stride and a terrific shot which allowed him to score in massive amounts against lesser competition.
Donovan has a unique combination of size, skating and skill and if he ever puts it all together has a high ceiling at the professional level. -NHL Black Book
Ryder Donovan scored 147 points in 134 games in high school in Duluth, Minnesota. He is committed to play at University of Wisconsin with fellow top prospects Cole Caufield and Alex Turcotte.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 22, 2019
5th Round – #135 Overall (from MIN)
Selection: Isaiah Saville (G) – Tri City Storm (USHL)
Saville put up fantastic numbers in the goal with the Storm posting a .925 SV% and 1.90 GAA in 34 games. A medium sized goalie, he relies on his technique to make most saves. He’s been described as “compact” and “consistent.”
5th Round – #139 Overall (from MTL)
Selection: Marcus Kallionkieli (F) – Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
A Finnish and Brazillian forward who simply puts the puck in the net. 29 goals in 58 games in the USHL, Kallionkieli has an accurate shot. His downfall is his consistency where he couldn’t seem to put together every aspect of his game on any given night. He played on a line with terrific forwards Bobby Brink and Martin Pospisil which may have helped to pad his stats.
5th Round – #141 Overall
Selection: Mason Primeau (F) – North Bay Battalion (OHL)
Primeau is a giant 6’5″, 205 pound power forward known most for his energy. He’s not the most skilled player and likely projects as a bottom-six forward if he can reach the NHL.
vgk2019
Good draft BUT……
It is official now, and not good news for the VGK. The cap will be at $81.5 million this coming season, not the $83M that was earlier projected. This is because the players want less held out of their checks in escrow.
So, now we have reports from Darren Dreger that Nikita Gusev is being shopped in trade because the Knights have so little cap room to sign him. Really bad if they went to all the trouble of signing him in April, bringing him over here, and then he never plays a game in a VGK uniform. He is an elite talent, and they will not get equal value in return in any trade that is seen as a desperate salary cap dump by the Knights. Particularly since they can only bring back picks or prospects in return because of their cap problem.