While the Vegas Golden Knights’ flurry of activity at the trade deadline didn’t help them escape the first round in their Stanley Cup title defense, it also didn’t cost them their first-round pick in this year’s entry draft. Somehow, the club managed to add Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifin and Anthony Mantha while holding onto what will be the No. 19 pick this June.
Barring trades to acquire more picks, however, that first-round selection looks to be one of the few draft assets that the Golden Knights will add during their home draft (the event is set to take place at the Sphere from June 28-29). Thanks to the additions of Mantha, Hanifin and Adin Hill, Vegas is only set to pick once more before the sixth round. They re-acquired their own third-round choice from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Reilly Smith trade after it had initially been dealt away in exchange for Teddy Blueger.
With no disrespect to that aforementioned third-rounder, or to the club’s sixth- and seventh-round selections, we’re going to focus on the No. 19 overall pick here. Let’s break down some of the players who could fit the Golden Knights’ system and be available when they are called upon to make their pick. Assuming they haven’t traded it by then, that is.
Michael Hage, C, Chicago Steel (USHL)
The prospect cupboard was already pretty bare for Vegas, and then their trade deadline wheeling and dealing saw the departures of 2023 first-round pick David Edstrom and defensive prospect Daniil Miromanov. More than any one position for the Golden Knights to address in the draft, they simply need an influx of talent in the pipeline. That’s why you can expect GM Kelly McCrimmon and the front office to look for the best player available.
In a wide-open draft, finding that player is no easy feat. But if Michael Hage lasts long enough, he could be an excellent candidate. The Chicago Steel center ranked fourth in the USHL in points, recording 75 in just 54 games and earning First Team All-Star honors. And he might just be scratching the surface. Although his development was slowed by shoulder surgery last season, he boasts the type of speed and high-end offensive skill that could click at the NHL level and make him a player that teams regret passing on.
Ryder Ritchie, C/RW, Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
As Peter Baracchini pointed out in his recent mock draft, the Golden Knights and Ryder Ritchie could serve as an ideal fit for one another. The Prince Albert Raiders forward plays with a maturity level rarely seen in players that young (Ritchie won’t turn 18 until August). The Calgary native is a highly intuitive playmaker with a strong hockey IQ who plays with tremendous confidence and assertiveness.
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When it comes to Vegas, the organization’s emphasis on puck possession fits seamlessly with Ritchie’s skillset. While it’s unclear whether he has the weapons to put up eye-popping stats, his responsible, heady style of play has led to plenty of winning. The son of eight-year NHL veteran Byron Ritchie was a key part of Team Canada at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2024 IIHF World U18 Championships, taking home gold at both events.
EJ Emery, D, USA U18 (NTDP)
In a defense-heavy NHL draft class, there are plenty of blue line options likely to be available when the Golden Knights make their selection. Now, it might seem odd to connect the club to a defensive prospect given their depth on the back end (even with Alec Martinez’s pending free agency, they have seven defenders under contract for next season), but it’s an area that needs to be addressed within Vegas’ system. After all, Alex Pietrangelo and Brayden McNabb are entering their mid-30s, while McNabb and Shea Theodore are both headed into contract years.
To add to a defensive prospect pool that lost Miromanov and is anchored by Lukas Cormier, the Golden Knights could do worse than to add U.S. national team development program prospect EJ Emery. Once considered a fringe first-rounder, Emery has been moving up draft boards thanks to his stable, shutdown defensive game that he has progressively paired with a developing offensive game.
In a wide-open draft featuring plenty of uncertainty past projected No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini, unpredictability and chaos could rule the day. Such a possibility makes it understandably difficult for McCrimmon and the Vegas draft brass to anticipate how things will shake out before they are on the clock. But even in a draft that isn’t considered particularly strong or deep, the Golden Knights can take some comfort in knowing that, as these prospects demonstrate, there should be promising players available who strongly fit the organizational ethos.
