Golden Knights among teams bracing for chaotic NHL draft

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Depending on whom you ask, the build-up to this year’s NHL draft either featured unprecedented levels of trade talk or the typical amount of scuttlebutt.

San Jose general manager Doug Wilson noted there’s been more communication between GMs in recent weeks than at any time during his 16 years on the job, and he’s not alone in sharing that sentiment.

Montreal’s Marc Bergevin and Washington’s Brian MacLellan, meanwhile, did their best Thursday to downplay the hot stove activity.

Either way, the Golden Knights figure to be in the middle of the maelstrom when the first round takes place Friday at Rogers Arena.

The Knights own the No. 17 overall pick in the first round in a draft that is expected to be dominated by Americans in the top 10. New Jersey is projected to select Jack Hughes of the U.S. National Team Development Program at No. 1.

“I think the word for our organization is ‘excited,’” Knights incoming general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “We sure think picking at 17 puts us in a real good group of players and we’re preparing based on that. We know we’re adding a good player to our organization on Friday.”

The Knights own nine picks overall, including three choices in the third round Saturday and three more in the fifth. They do not currently have a pick in the sixth or seventh rounds.

After trading away two of their three first-round selections from the 2017 draft (Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom) and dealing last year’s first-round pick to Detroit in the package for forward Tomas Tatar, this draft is important for the Knights to restock their farm system.

“It’s all about organizational depth and we’re a young franchise, so that’s an area we can still grow and improve,” McCrimmon said. “This year, selecting in the first round is an opportunity to add a player and really develop him into a core piece of our team.”

Meanwhile, the Knights continue to be been mentioned prominently in trade talks, as McCrimmon and soon-to-be president of hockey operations George McPhee look for ways to get the club under the salary cap.

Defenseman Colin Miller and his $3.875 million salary cap hit remains on the trading block after he landed in coach Gerard Gallant’s doghouse this past season and was a healthy scratch for Game 1 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

The Knights could shed the $5.25 million owed to forward David Clarkson, who spent the past two seasons on long-term injured reserve after being acquired at the expansion draft.

In addition, Sportsnet in Canada floated the possibility that a high-priced veteran forward such as Max Pacioretty ($7 million cap hit) or Paul Stastny ($6.5 million cap hit) could be dealt to free up money to sign restricted free-agent center William Karlsson.

With those assets and extra picks at their disposal, the Knights also could put together a package to move up in the first round.

The Knights currently have more than $83 million committed to 19 players. The salary cap for the 2019-2020 season has not been announced but is expected to come in under previous projections of $83 million.

“Traditionally, when you look at any of the moves over the first round, they can largely be traced back to the way the draft unfolds being the impetus for a team moving up or down,” McCrimmon said. “We’re prepared to draft at the 17th position, and that will dictate our approach.”

Should the Knights hold onto their pick, they will have several options available. Multiple defensemen should be on the board in the mid-teens, and the options at forward could include Alex Newhook, Ryan Suzuki and Philip Tomasino, whose stock has been rising in recent days.

“The public pays attention to the names ranked in the first round and the high selections, but a good (scouting) staff, their worth goes right through the draft,” McCrimmon said. “There are a lot of players we like, and obviously a small percentage that we think will be very good NHL players. There are a lot of players that we hold in high regard.”

More Golden Knights: Follow at reviewjournal.com/GoldenKnights and @HockeyinVegas on Twitter.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.

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