The Vegas Golden Knights are in an odd position, where they control a strong negotiating position over teams who don’t want to lose valuable roster players. Vegas is under no obligation to comply with any requests, and can essentially extort other teams for maximum return. If Anaheim wants to protect Josh Manson, for example, Vegas will play hardball. They will do so for two reasons: first, the better the player, the more important he will be to a future Knights team, and two, they have no incentive not to take that player for anything less than an optimal return. GM George McPhee is already looking to have a better competitive jump-start than any previous NHL expansion team by a significant margin. And it doesn’t look as though he will opt out of choosing the best available players for anything short of a ransom. Some teams might be desperate enough to do so.
Vegas is already assumed to have three picks, and could easily snag more. They have their own pick at #6, and are believed to have side-deals with Columbus and the New York Islanders in order to acquire the #24 and #15 picks, respectively. Anaheim is definitely in discussions to keep Manson and possibly even Sami Vatanen, who they desperately tried to trade for value before Saturday’s roster freeze. It’s quite conceivable that picks are in play there, but Anaheim no longer has its 2017 first after trading it to Dallas for Patrick Eaves.
Other teams who will be desperate to keep players include Nashville, who would lose James Neal, Chicago, who have exposed Trevor van Riemsdyk, and San Jose, who could lose one of Paul Martin or David Schlemko. If those teams, or any other organization, really want to hang onto particular players, there’s a very real possibility they will need to surrender a top pick.
For historical reference, only one team has ever drafted with 5 first-round picks – the 1974 Montreal Canadiens. The last team who had 4 first-round picks was the 1999 New York Islanders, when they selected Tim Connolly at #5. If Vegas could amass yet another first round pick, or even two, it would put them in an incredibly enviable position headed into the Entry Draft. The importance of flash and showmanship is rarely overlooked in the City of Lights, and the team looks to continue that philosophy by embracing the saga that the expansion draft has become.
I love the NHL but I just don’t see why the Vegas franchise is necessary. But regardless, the NHL seems to be approaching this completely wrong. They’re an expansion team, starting from scratch. So they should, you know, start from scratch. Sign FA’s as well as you can. Draft. You’re going to be horrible at first. Maybe for a while. There will be growing pains. Deal with and learn from them.
Vegas is paying 500 million, that gets you a head start. Minn/Nashville paid 80 million back in late 90s.
growing pains? u make it sound like they should be penalized for being a expansion team. The league should give them every opportunity to be the best team they can be from day 1.
It would mess with the whole “competitive balance” thing that the NHL is trying to implement. At least teams like Buffalo, Carolina, and Arizona have a chance to win every night, while a Vegas team without any real talent is basically a scrimmage.
This should be the best expansion team in NHL history.When the league had its first expansion((1967/68),the flyers,pens,blues,kings,north stars and seals took different paths ;some drafted aging veterans that competed early on and others took the opposite route by taking more young guys.Vegas has a chance to be competitive right from the start and stay that way for the future.I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the playoff hunt in 2017/18.
And I don’t know offhand of any precedent with just ONE expansion team in any sport.
The Thrashers and Predators both were single expansion teams, a year apart, as one recent example.
Houston Texans only one in 2002 NFL expansion
Charlotte Bobcats NBA 2004 Expansion, only one there as well