Via sportslogos.net

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The 32-in-32 Series is an annual event here at DobberProspects! Every day in August, we will bring you a complete breakdown of a team’s draft and insights into their off-season movements thus far. Following this up in September, we will dive into every team’s prospect depth chart with fantasy insights and implications for the upcoming seasons. Check back often because we plan to fill your hockey withdrawal needs all off-season!

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By: Taylor Davis

Another offseason has come and gone in Vegas, as have several noteworthy free agents since the start of the summer. Although they were unable to reach the highs of their 2022-23 season, which culminated in the franchise’s first Stanley Cup, the Knights still managed a respectable 98 points this past year on their way to a wild card playoff berth and an eventual first round defeat at the hands of the Dallas Stars.  

Looking ahead to this upcoming season, much of GM Kelly McCrimmon’s roster tinkering played out back at last season’s trade deadline. There, the additions of both (a then-injured) Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin served not only to bolster last season’s squad in the immediate term, but also the future with both Hertl (six years left on his contract entering 2024-25) and Hanifin (re-signed by Vegas to an 8-year deal this past April) signed long-term.

Beyond those two additions, it has largely been an offseason of subtraction for the Knights. Most notably, the team watched six UFAs walk out the door on July 1st, chief among them being day-one misfit and expansion draft selection Jonathan Marchessault. With that stated, the team was able to make some bargain-priced acquisitions in free agency such as Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov, as well as pulling off a pair of draft-day deals which saw the team effectively swap out goaltender Logan Thompson for fellow netminder Akira Schmid and former top pick Alexander Holtz.

All things considered, the Golden Knights lineup looks effectively set for opening night save for some training camp housekeeping (such as the anticipated battle between Samsonov and Schmid for the backup role). Vegas will once again be vying for a playoff spot come April, and they seem poised as constructed to go on yet another deep run if things fall their way.

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NHL Draft Recap

Round 1, 19th Overall – Trevor Connelly, LW

The Knights took center stage at The Sphere back in June, with Vegas serving as the host city for one of the NHL’s marquee events. For the second year in a row, the Golden Knights made a total of four selections in this year’s entry draft. This year, the team chose to take a chance on U.S. born 6-1 forward Trevor Connelly.

As a hockey player, Connelly has been a dominant offensive force among his age group for years, spending time at both center and the wing to this point in his well traveled career. His game starts with his speed, but it does not end there, as high level edgework and craftiness allow him to create space for himself and teammates both with and without the puck, where he shows above average IQ in all three zones. Connelly ended the season ranked 6th on Central Scouting’s list of available North American skaters, and projects to be a high value pick for where he was available in the draft.

As a person, the 18-year-old Connelly has publicly expressed a desire to better himself in the wake of a series of incidents in his personal life which have led some in the hockey world to question his character. Through community service, volunteer work and diversity training, Connelly has already put actions behind that sentiment. Per Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon in his draft night comments, “(the team) certainly did our due diligence… and feel that he’s going to represent our organization the way that we would expect.”

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Round 3, 83rd Overall – Pavel Moysevich, G

With their second pick of this year’s draft, and with a selection which had been passed around before being acquired from Washington in the Logan Thompson deal, Vegas chose the 6-5 netminder Pavel Moysevich.

Moysevich checks off two of the same key boxes as many star NHL goalies these days: size, and a Russian birth certificate. Drafted as an overager, he made his KHL debut this season to the tune of a league record 242 minutes of shutout hockey before allowing a goal. With that said, most of his KHL minutes came in relief this season, but he still managed a fantastic .942% save percentage over 13 total games played in the regular season. The fun did not stop there, as after making his KHL playoff debut in relief, he was reassigned to the Russian junior league MHL, where he posted a .945% save percentage while leading his team to a league championship.  

Experience will be important for the young netminder moving forwards. He has gotten plenty against both his own age group and grown men already in his career to date, but once his development path straightens out and he is able to find some consistent starts with the same squad, his ceiling will start to become clearer.

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Round 6, 180th Overall – Trent Swick, LW

The Knights went back to the well of overaged talent in the sixth round and selected Trent Swick with their third pick of the draft. While overlooked twice before for his one-ice ability, it is inherently difficult to overlook the 6-7 Swick off of it. Things came together nicely for him this year, as he stayed largely healthy and scored at nearly a point-per-game pace in his final season of draft eligibility. 

While that overage production bump is not all too uncommon, Swick’s full package of size and skill is. He is a young man still growing into his body, and if he fills out and continues honing his strengths (physicality, puck control, net front presence,) he could turn into a complimentary professional player somewhere down the line.

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Round 7, 197th Overall – Lucas Van Vliet, RW

Wrapping up this year’s draft haul, Vegas chose U.S. born 6-2 forward Lucas Van Vliet with their seventh round selection. He spent the past several years with the USNTDP, developing into an energetic winger with pace who shows an ability to get his shot off without much time or space. 

On the international level, he’s already represented his country multiple times, most recently on the silver medal winning U18 World Junior squad last season. He’ll need to round out his game in all aspects to advance to the next level, but Van Vliet boasts a strong pedigree and work ethic that may help to set him apart as time goes on. He has plenty of development time ahead of him, starting with a move to Dubuque of the USHL this coming season.

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Off-Season Moves

Incoming 

Zach Aston-Reese, UFA

Callahan Burke, UFA

Robert Hagg, UFA

Alexander Holtz, Trade

Tanner Laczynski, UFA

Victor Olofsson, UFA

Ilya Samsonov, UFA

Akira Schmid, Trade

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Outgoing

Layton Ahac, UFA

Michael Amadio, UFA

William Carrier, UFA

Paul Cotter, Trade

Byron Froese, UFA

Anthony Mantha, UFA

Jonathan Marchessault, UFA

Alec Martinez, UFA

Jiri Patera, UFA

Mason Primeau, UFA

Chandler Stephenson, UFA

Logan Thompson, Trade

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Re-Signed

Pavel Dorofeyev re-signed to a two-year contract

Noah Hanifin re-signed to an eight-year contract

Kaeden Korczak re-signed to a two-year contract

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Development Camps

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEt6OaKJMw0

The Knights top prospects congregated last month for the team’s 2024 Development camp, including all four members of Vegas’ most recent draft class. All told, a total of 44 players took to the ice for the six day event, five of which included an on-ice component at City National Arena and one spent solely on community outreach and team building. Along with skill development exercises and short drills, the on-ice festivities once again concluded with a traditional joint scrimmage, the second of the camp, which included an eye popping mid-air goal by Lucas Van Vliet. You can watch both of those camp scrimmages here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHtHWKqFoQ4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D8lC18W_aw 

Fans will get their next chance to see the team’s best prospects next month, with the team announcing their participation in this year’s 2024 Rookie Faceoff. Vegas will play squads from the Ducks, Kraken, Avalanche, Kings, Sharks and Utah Hockey Club over the course of September 13-16, hosted this year at Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, California.

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Final Thoughts

It has been a tough offseason for many Vegas fans, with several key departures marking yet another era in the fast paced history of one of the league’s youngest and most successful teams. Time will tell if Adin Hill is up to the task again this year, or if the tides turn and we see the (re?)emergence of a Samsonov or a Schmid. The real intrigue will likely come from the forward corps, with a well-rested Tomas Hertl and a wild card in Alexander Holtz joining an already stacked top-nine. The expectations are high as always in Vegas- and they’re a worthwhile bet for another deep playoff run next spring.

Enjoy the rest of your summer, Knights fans!

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Thanks for reading! Follow me on the cesspool that is X at @TD_Dobber for more!

Taylor Davis