Krebs threw the mobility scooter (Achilles) aside to accept his first-round selection in the draft. (USA Today Sports)
First Round: Peyton Krebs (C)
Although he won't fully become the General Manager until September 1st, Kelly McCrimmon took center stage on Friday evening to select the Golden Knights' 2019 first round draft pick. After selecting three players in the first round of their first Entry Draft in 2017, the Golden Knights were left out of the first round of the 2018 Entry Draft, dealing their first round pick for Tomas Tatar. This year's first round pick turned out to be a bit of a steal, due to a lingering Achilles Injury, in center Peyton Krebs.
Krebs is coming from the Western Hockey League, also known as McCrimmon's home away from the NHL. McCrimmon has extensive history with the Western league and knows the league quite well. By selecting a player from the WHL, McCrimmon is bound to know everything possible about the guy. In Krebs, the Golden Knights are getting a creative forward who has a knack for the offensive zone. He is a plus skater, when his Achilles tendon permits, and he has a good chance of cracking the top-six up front, once he makes the big club.
Scouting Report on Krebs:
Position: Center/W
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 181 lbs
Shoots: Left
- He is a smooth, shifty skater that traverses all three zones with ease and closes the gap on the backcheck quickly.
- Offensively, below the opposition's blue line, he is an electric, dominant force that showcases excellent decision-making and undeniable puck skills.
- He's aggressive, but never takes stupid penalties that will put his team in disadvantage state.
- All-in-all, Peyton Krebs is an exciting mix of speed, skill, smarts, and hard-nosedness in all three zones.
Curtis Joe, Elite Prospects 2019
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Second Round: Kaedan Korczak (D)
Forming a shocking union, the San Jose Sharks and Vegas Golden Knights teamed up on a trade, allowing the Golden Knights to take defenseman Kaedan Korczak in the second round (41st overall) of the 2019 Entry Draft. Their second round pick falls right in line with Kelly McCrimmon's WHL-centric roster construction, as Korczak comes to the team from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western league.
🎥 Korczak: I like to play a lot of minutes against the other team's top players. I take pride in that and, if offense is there, I like to jump in and be part of that as well. https://t.co/4sxcjfTeLf
Vegas' newest prospect is a defensive-minded player with the skill to jump into the offensive zone. He won't flash huge production numbers, but he can hold his own on both sides of the ice. Below are a few of the scouting reports of the Golden Knights' new six-foot-two-inch, 192 pound defenseman.
"He skates very well for his size, occasionally demonstrating the ability to take the puck end to end with impressive speed"
-HockeyProspect.com
"A defensive defenseman who can eat up a lot of ice time while adding secondary offense"
-Future Considerations
“A beautiful skater who moves the puck well and brings a 6-foot-3 frame to the table. At 188 pounds, there’s room for more bulk.”
-Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News
“A mobile, physical blueliner who is in the running for best one-on-one defender in his draft class."
Steve Kournianos, The Draft Analyst
A fun fact to note, Korczak and the Golden Knights' first round pick, Peyton Krebs played together on Team Canada in the World Juniors tournament this past year. Expect to see the two in Developmental Camp which begins on Tuesday, June 25.
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Third Round:
- With the 79th overall pick in the draft, the Golden Knights selected Pavel Dorofeyev (LW).
Dorofeyev is a left-handed forward from Nizhny Tagil, Russia.
"A highly creative and gifted offensive player. Dorofeyev reads the game impressively and is also equipped with a good release and sweet puckhandling skills. Compete level has been questioned.
-Elite Prospects
- With the 86th overall pick, the Golden Knights selected defenseman Layton Ahac. Ahac played in the British Columbia Hockey League for the Prince George Spruce Kings. The 6-foot-2 defenseman had 32 points in 53 games this season. Ahac is committed to play for Ohio State University next year and will get some good seasoning in the powerful Big 10 Conference of the NCAA.
**
Fourth Round:
With the 110th overall pick, the Golden Knights took Ryder Donovan (C) who is committed to the University of Wisconsin (NCAA). Donovan stands 6-foot-3, but has some filling out to do, coming in at 183 on the scales. The Duluth, Minnesota native will have some things in common with fellow Minnesotan Nate Schmidt who is bound to be on the roster if/when Donovan makes the jump to the NHL down the line. As usual, teams look for centers, as they are generally the stars of their junior teams and can easily translate to other positions later in their careers. Donovan is the third offensive player picked by the Golden Knights thus far, in a rather balanced approach this year.
"He is a solid skater for his size, with impressive acceleration and agility helping the package."
-McKeen's Hockey 2019
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Fifth Round:
-With the 135th overall pick, the Golden Knights selected goaltender Isaiah Saville. He is a product of the USHL, recording very solid numbers this year.
-With the 139th overall pick, the Vegas Golden Knights selected Marcus Kallionkieli (LW) of the Sioux City Musketeers. He put up 29g, 24a for 53 points in 58 games.
-With the 141st pick in the 2019 Entry Draft, their last as of the time of the pick, the Golden Knights selected Mason Primeau (C) from the North Bay Batallion of the Ontario Hockey League. His father Wayne and uncle Keith both had long careers in the NHL. His cousin Cayden Primeau is garnering much praise for his goaltending within the US program. Cayden was drafted 199th overall in 2017 by the Montreal Canadiens.
In his 18-19 season with the Tri-City Storm (USHL) he played 34 games with a 1.90 goals against average and a .925 save percentage.
**
Shockingly, the Golden Knights did not make any of the blockbuster trades anticipated at the draft. Stealing the spotlight was the New Jersey devils, acquiring P.K Subban from the Nashville Predators for next to nothing. Although the Preds needed to cut salary cap, they were fleeced by the Devils. Horrible trade for Nashville unless they get a high profile UFA forward, ala Matt Duchene.
Eventually, the Golden Knights will need to pull the trigger on a personnel move because, as is, the team will be well over the salary cap if they field the same exact team as the 2018-19 season. Will William Karlsson re-sign long-term? Will he sign a more lucrative offer sheet? Will Colin Miller or Cody Eakin be dealt for cap relief? Will Nikita Gusev become a cap casualty before ever playing for the club? McPhee, McCrimmon, and Co, have a lot of questions to answer this summer and as of publication, they have failed to do so at the draft.
Grade:
B
Overall, I would give the Golden Knights a solid B grade thus far. They failed to make moves that they will ultimately need to make. Waiting too long, or holding your assets too tight could lead to a fire sale once they decide to pull the trigger. Getting Krebs at 17 is an absolute steal and he will team up with Cody Glass to power the Golden Knights offense in the near future. Their reluctance or inability to work deals, drops them into a B, despite the general effectiveness of their actual draft selections.
Stay tuned throughout the week for roster news, development camp updates (June 25), and analysis throughout the summer. Follow along on Twitter by clicking the button below!
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