Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Analysis:

Analysis: 3 players the Golden Knights must scoop up, build around

Fleury

Gene J. Puskar / AP

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury celebrates with fans along the Stanley Cup victory parade route in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, June 14, 2017.

When Golden Knights majority owner Bill Foley paid the NHL the $500 million expansion fee, he knew the league would give his team a shot to succeed.

In this expansion draft, teams can protect far fewer players than in previous years, leaving more talent than ever before available to the Golden Knights.

“When I saw the list for the first time I said to myself, ‘There are some good hockey players here,’” coach Gerard Gallant said, “and there were a couple guys that are really good.”

General Manager George McPhee has made it clear that he is willing to allow teams to keep some of their unprotected players, but they must pay heavily in draft picks. A few of them, though, are too enticing to give up.

“The balance is whatever feels right for our team and we just had that discussion 30 minutes ago on one particular transaction that may happen where there’s a player there that we think would be really good for our team,” McPhee said Monday morning. “Another offer has come in on that player that is really a nice, healthy offer that we also like, but what’s best for our team? What’s best for our team is keeping the player. So, that’s essentially how we measure things.”

Here are the players McPhee would be crazy to pass up:

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Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba shoots during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings in Los Angeles, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017.

Matt Dumba, Minnesota Wild

Many Las Vegans were upset upon the release of the Minnesota Wild’s protection list because it meant there would be no reunion for local hero Jason Zucker. To keep Zucker, the Wild chose to protect seven forwards, three defensemen and a goalie, but in doing so they exposed a pair of talented defensemen in Matt Dumba and Marco Scandella.

They are both good, but Dumba has more offensive prowess and is five years younger. The 22-year-old Canadian has increased his points in all four years with the Wild — recording 11 goals and 23 assists last year.

The former first-round pick has the potential to put up 40 points per season, which would make him a top-20 offensive defensemen in the league. What he lacks in size (6-foot, 183 pounds) he makes up for with electrifying skating for a defenseman. Not only does he lay the lumber in the open ice, but he can lead a charge following change of possession.

McPhee can likely fetch a ransom for Dumba, but he is a much surer thing than anyone in this draft.

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Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury watches from the bench during the third period of Game 5 in the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals against the Ottawa Senators, Sunday, May 21, 2017, in Pittsburgh.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins

Go back and ask the last expansion teams to enter the NHL (Bluejackets and Wild) how much easier their entry into the league would have been with a 3-time Stanley Cup Champion between the pipes.

There are many talented goalies up for grabs in the expansion draft, and many are younger than Fleury. The Golden Knights must take at least three, but will likely take more to trade for assets. Fleury shouldn’t be one of them.

At only 32 years old Fleury has plenty in the tank. The 13-year veteran is fresh due to splitting time with Matt Murray over the past couple seasons in Pittsburgh. He has the athletic goaltending style that allows him to make up for defensive lapses, which are sure to happen with an expansion team.

Off the ice, he is one of the most respected players in the league and would be a great face to put at the podium after a tough loss.

If there’s one certainty in this expansion draft, it’s that the Golden Knights will have a good group of goaltenders, and Fleury should be heading it.

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Florida Panthers' Jonathan Marchessault in action during an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, Thursday, March 2, 2017, in Philadelphia.

Jonathan Marchessault, Florida Panthers

It’s not surprising to see that the hardest things for the Golden Knights to find in this expansion draft are scorers. They are a premium in today’s NHL more than ever, and teams are reluctant to let them go once they find them.

That’s why the Florida Panthers failure to include Jonathan Marchessault on their protection list is one of the biggest mysteries of the entire expansion draft. The 26-year-old centerman is fresh off a 30-goal season in which he also added 21 assists.

Finishing tied for eighth in goals with Connor McDavid is why Marchessault is the most surefire pick in the entire expansion draft for the Golden Knights. He's only 26, reaching the prime of his playing career and to top it off, he’s due only $750,000 this year.

For a team that will lack pure goal scorers, Marchessault is a dream come true for Golden Knights management. Now all they have to do is choose him.

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