Jason is currently working on rounding up all of then audio and video he was able to gather from the basement of T-Mobile Arena, and I am about to get on a plane to Chicago to cover the NHL Entry Draft. But before I do, here are my quick observations for now. We will have a bundle of stuff tomorrow.
- Before you go making any judgments on how many picks they got or who they picked or didn’t pick or whatever, wait until the all the trades go through.
- There should be at least one more first round pick in the works, possibly two or three.
- They were able to pick up the following picks. 2017 – 1st (#13), 1st (#15) 2nd, 5th, and 6th. 2018 – 4th 2019 – 2nd, 2nd, 3rd 2020 – 3rd. That’s in addition to the seven they already have in each draft. Only pick moved was 4th round in 2017, that will likely be recouped in spades when it’s all said and done.
- To clarify the Winnipeg situation. Columbus gave the Golden Knights a 1st and 2nd to take David Clarkson and lay off a whole host of guys. Vegas then traded that first rounder (#24) to Winnipeg to move up to #13 and they got an extra 3rd.
- David Clarkson is injured. He was expansion exempt, but the was included in an expansion deal. It’s a straight salary cap dump on Vegas. Excellent move to take him on.
- Detroit is confusing. Tomas Nosek was the player selected, no side deals were made. We need to learn a lot more about him.
- The Islanders got smoked in this draft. Lost three players and a first and second.
- Anaheim only wound up losing Theodore and Stoner. Theodore is a great player and is certainly in the “core” player for the Golden Knights.
- Chicago only gave up TVR to this point. More to come obviously.
- Marc-Andre Fleury got a massive ovation, and it was awesome.
- The Lightning may end up being one of the best returns from the draft. Jason Garrison is possibly on his way out and they were able to get a 2nd, a 4th, and Nikita Gusev.
- There’s got to be more to come with Florida. McPhee is almost certainly not in the business of moving a pick for a player, at least right now. He moved a 4th, and got Reilly Smith. Expect Smith and/or Marschessault to be gone tomorrow.
That’s it for tonight. But tomorrow bright and early we will have a bunch more.
Post expansion draft wrap up. Ask me anything about what went down. https://t.co/vE4Lavw6Ri
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) June 22, 2017
Mike
Tomas Nosek, big kid (6’3″ & 210) solid all around, in Detroit played on checking line and did fine, went back to Grand Rapids for AHL playoffs, top line center, led team in goals & points, and won the Calder Cup.
Ken Boehlke
That’s the best you can do there? No one wanted Mrazek?
James
@Ken Boehlke
You’ve got to ask yourself one question. Why did Detroit not trade him? Apparently there’s character issues to boot.
I thought he was a reclamation project worth considering. Xavier Ouellet was another option here
Cody
Sure, why would you want to keep Marchessault around??? (Sarcasm)
Ken Boehlke
If they get what I think they might get back for him, that sarcasm may change. But we shall see.
James
@Ken Boehlke
I hope I’m wrong, but I think you’re way off base there. Marchessault is really good value for money, but he’s not worth a first-round pick. Ditto for Colin Miller. Marchessault has benefited from playing with Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. I hate plus/minus grading, but not very good.
James
@Ken Boehlke
‘There’s got to be more to come with Florida. McPhee is almost certainly not in the business of moving a pick for a player, at least right now. He moved a 4th, and got Reilly Smith. Expect Smith and/or Marschessault to be gone tomorrow.’
I’m not writing him off, but I’m baffled as to why McPhee traded a fourth-round pick for Reilly Smith coming off a poor year. Smith failed to live up to his big contract last season. I was expecting compensation from Florida.
Ken Boehlke
Things should all make sense on that one once the trades come out. I’m assuming they are getting a 1st back somewhere along the way with that situation.
James
@Ken Boehlke
I think Gerard Gallant, Scott Luce and Erin Ginnell are convinced that the 2016–17 version of Reilly Smith is walking through that door. 5 Years / $5,000,000 AAV is quite the gamble.
James
@Ken Boehlke
We might have been better off drafting Matt Dumba, but time will tell. McPhee must really like Alex Tuch. Erik Haula is a third- or fourth-line center. Dumba is a bona fide number three/four defenceman. They do not grow on trees.
‘Anaheim only wound up losing Theodore and Stoner. Theodore is a great player and is certainly in the “core” player for the Golden Knights.’
Daylight robbery – I hope we don’t trade him …
RJ
It certainly feels like both the Wild and the Ducks figured out a way to completely rip us off. They were two of the teams with the most exposed and somehow they both managed to lose a secondary prospect AND dump contract. Why wouldn’t just taking Vatanen or Manson and Dumba (or Staal if trade value is > Dumba) make more sense than what we did? It’s not like we needed the contracts or roster spots. I want to believe in this, but it just makes no sense.
James
Watching McPhee, quite a contrast after watching Phil Jackson. Foley made a wise choice to go with experience. I am so stoked about the haul of picks and prospects!
RJ
We picked up just a few picks and no real blue chip prospects. I’m glad you’re excited, but Ifeel like we are looking at two different teams. I get it there is more to come today, I sure hope I am being unnecessarily pessimistic.
Ken Boehlke
We definitely disagree on Theodore then. But I think you need to wait until the Draft is completely done on Saturday. Then we can talk about what we really think.
RJ
You think Theodore is a better prospect than Sami Vatanen is? I feel like if Theodore develops into what Vatanen already is that would be great. In that case, why not just take Vatanen? Hopefully I’m wrong and Theodore winds up better than Vatanen.
Ken Boehlke
No, you just said you didn’t see much by means of blue chip prospects, I think both Theodore and Tuch are.
James
@RJ
I would have signed up for two top 15 picks and Shea Theodore before the expansion draft – I was expecting table scraps after a massive redistribution of players. It appears that McPhee put some nose out of joint.
We even got a second-round pick for taking Fleury. Perhaps I undervalued the power of cap space? I wasn’t expecting the bounty of picks and prospects.
I’m not even going to pretend that I know Alex Tuch, but he was highly-rated before last season. Listed as their top prospect. He’s clearly been overtaken
RJ
Thanks, it clear I’m meant to keep my comments to myself.
James
@RJ
*noses
I was referring to McPhee angering other general managers with the pledge.
You can make a valid case for taking Dumba and Vatanen or Manson. It would have saved us a third-round pick. I love the young D-core in Anaheim. You cant go wrong.
Alex Tuch scares me. He’s no longer listed as their top prospect. I would like to know if he’s a blue chip prospect. Finding the next power forward in the mold of Milan Lucic, that’s as rare as Haley’s Comet. I would have took Dumba instead of being cute.
James
@Ken Boehlke
‘Chicago only gave up TVR to this point. More to come obviously.’
The recent developments of Marian Hossa changed the financial landscape for Chicago and probably cost the Golden Knights … TVR appears headed to Carolina
RJ
That’s another thing that makes me furious. Did Chicago promise to move Krueger here if we took TVR instead of Pokka? Then recind at the last second (after Vegas submitted lists) due to Hosea issues? Over and over I feel like McPhee got fleeced. Man I hope I’m wrong.
Ken Boehlke
But did they take The Pledge? That’s the real question here.
RJ
Did the pledge really matter? TB and MTL made the only trade that would have violated the pledge. We took on a huge salary dumps from both teams, certainly not the best picks from either. We know a deal was in place with TB and certainly something is going on with MTL as well. It looks like it was McPhee that didn’t keep the pledge.