The Golden Knights entered with just five picks in the 2020 Draft. Here’s a quick rundown of what we know about each player selected by the Golden Knights in the 2020 NHL Draft.
1st Round – #29 Overall
Selection: Brendan Brisson (F) – Chicago Steel (USHL)
3rd Round – #68th (from NJD)
Selection: Lukas Cormier (D) – Charlottetown Islanders
A small puck-moving defenseman that is best known for his offense. He’s just 5’9″ and isn’t considered the best skater but he is dynamic in the rush. He’s best on the power play where he amasses most of his points.
Cormier is a puck-mover who has a good first pass out of his zone and good vision in the offensive zone. He makes quick decisions with the puck and his passes are crisp with great accuracy. He did have some bad games in our viewings this year, where some bad-puck management was on display along with some questionable play in his own zone. He’s not a big defenseman, he even looks smaller than his listed size. Regardless, it’s going to be very challenging for him to make it to the NHL. -NHL Black Book
Cormier says he models his game after Torey Krug and Sam Girard.
3rd Round – #91 Overall
Selection: Jackson Hallum (F) – St. Thomas Academy (HS-MN)
Hallum is a speedy forward that some consider to be the best skater in the entire draft. He’s a two-way player due to his high end-skating but is more known as an offensive-minded forward who generates offense for any line he’s on.
Hallum has excellent explosiveness and top end speed and this season he started to figure out how to best use it to his advantage offensively. Using his speed to not only gain the edge and drive the net on opponents but to also penetrate the middle of the ice, quickly knifing through lanes to get to the net. Hallum is strong on his skates and can use his skating abilities down low to control possession. What keeps Jackson from being a high-end NHL draft prospect is his overall playmaking ability and his tendency to make some questionable decisions with the puck, sometimes skating out of scoring positions or turning the puck over in bad areas of the ice. -NHL Black Book
**TRADE**
VGK acquires pick #135 for a 2022 4th Round pick
5th Round – #135 Overall
Selection: Jesper Vikman (G) – AIK (Sweden)
Vikman is a 6’3″ goalie who has been playing for the AIK U16, U18, and U20 teams over the past few years. He was ranked as the 8th European goalie by NHL Central Scouting.
6th Round – #184 Overall
Selection: Noah Ellis (D) – Des Moines (USHL)
A well-rounded defenseman who is a strong skater. Scored just 11 points in 47 games in the USHL but was strong for Team USA at the Hlinka/Gretzky tournament. His offensive is hot and cold but defensively he’s usually sound.
Noah Ellis (6th round pick) says he models his game after Shea Theodore. Said he loves how smooth he plays the game.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) October 7, 2020
7th Round – #215 Overall
Selection: Maxim Marushev (F) – Bars Kazan (KHL/MHL)
A 200-foot center that has played in both offensive and defensive roles both in Russian leagues and internationally. He’s 21-years-old making him by far the oldest player Vegas has ever selected. He posted 40 points in 30 games last season in the MHL.
(Huge shout out to both the NHL Black Book and Draft Recrutes. Both guides are spectacular and are must-buys for anyone who loves the NHL Draft. I’ve bought both every year the site has been around.)
Daryl
So, looks like we won’t be playing much defense…. Hoping our goalie can stop a lot of pucks and just outscore the opposition.
Brent
Correction: Maxim Marushev had 40 Points in 35 games in the VHL. The MHL is the Russian equivalent to the CHL, where the VHL is the Russian equivalent to the AHL.