Knights select 4 players in NHL draft, including Australian forward

The NHL draft was decentralized this year after teams voted 26-6 to switch to a virtual format.

That meant rather than having club personnel and prospects all together in one room, the front offices were scattered across North America handling their business in separate buildings, while picks were announced at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.

The Knights, who made their four selections from Las Vegas on Saturday, were one of six teams that voted to keep the draft in-person. They suspect they’ll have more company next time around.

“It’s tough to find anybody that voted in favor of the virtual draft,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “It’s like finding people who voted for Nixon.”

McCrimmon said there were positives to the virtual draft. All the Knights scouts and executives could be in one room. That made communication easier, but McCrimmon hopes this format is a one-off.

“I just really feel (the in-person draft is) so special to our sport. We’re the only sport that does it this way,” he said. “It’ll come up. We’ll have a discussion, and we’ll see what the NHL thought of how the draft went, what the other teams thought about it. I guess I would say to you, I’m hopeful that it does revert back because that’s how we felt all along.”

The Knights still got plenty of business accomplished over the draft’s two days.

They didn’t have a first-round pick Friday after sending it to the San Jose Sharks in their trade for center Tomas Hertl in March 2024. The Knights started Saturday with six selections, but finished with four after trading up in the second and third rounds.

Plenty of skill

The team began Saturday by moving up three spots to select forward Jakob Ihs Wozniak with the No. 55 overall pick.

Ihs Wozniak, 18, was born in Australia but plays for Lulea HF in the Swedish Hockey League. He had 23 goals and 34 assists in 40 games for his club’s U20 team last season.

Ihs Wozniak is the third Australia-born player to be selected in the NHL draft after defenseman Jordan Spence (No. 95 in 2019) and defenseman Darren Gani (No. 252 in 1984).

“It’s a little bit special being born in Australia,” Ihs Wozniak said. “When I moved from Australia, my dad just got me on the ice. Ever since then, it’s just felt natural and I’ve just loved it ever since then.”

Ihs Wozniak was the No. 8 international skater in the NHL Central Scouting rankings.

The Knights traded the No. 58 pick and the No. 122 pick to the Nashville Predators to move up to take Ihs Wozniak, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds.

“I’m a super offensive player,” he said. “I’ve got a great shot and good hockey IQ, I think, and I have the passing ability to become a great player in the NHL.”

Ihs Wozniak played on the top line of Sweden’s U18 team with Anton Frondell, who was selected with the No. 3 overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.

That shows the kind of skill Ihs Wozniak has. Knights assistant director of player personnel Bob Lowes said the next step for Ihs Wozniak will be engaging physically more.

“I think at the end of the year, he’s way more consistent in that area and he knows that’s something he has to work on,” Lowes said. “I don’t think it will be an issue.”

Another trade

The Knights traded up again one round later to take center Mateo Nobert from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at No. 85 overall. The team sent the No. 91 pick and the No. 154 pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the deal.

Nobert, 17, had 28 goals and 39 assists in 57 games last season. Lowes said Nobert, who is listed at 6 feet, 166 pounds, plays a great two-way game but needs time to develop.

“We feel in three or four years, we’re going to have a hell of a player,” Lowes said.

The Knights wrapped things up by making two sixth-round picks.

They selected forward Alex Weiermair from the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks at No. 186 and Swedish defenseman Gustav Sjoqvist at No. 187.

Weiermair, 20, is a Los Angeles native and had 21 goals and 25 assists in 41 games with the Winterhawks last season. Sjoqvist, 19, scored 18 points in 31 games with his club AIK’s U20 team.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.