Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

Analysis:

In a nod to the future, Golden Knights add trio of talented teens

Golden Knights

Jesse Granger

The Vegas Golden Knights picked three players — Cody Glass, from left, Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom — in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft on June 23, 2017, at the United Center, in Chicago.

When the NHL awarded Las Vegas with an expansion franchise — to become the Golden Knights — majority owner Bill Foley set a lofty goal.

Win a Stanley Cup in year six.

Golden Knights General Manager George McPhee made his three first-round selections in the entry draft Friday night in Chicago with that long-term goal in mind, taking three teenagers barely old enough to see an R-rated movie without their parents.

Cody Glass, who the Golden Knights drafted with the No. 6 overall pick, is the oldest of the three, and he only turned 18 in April.

Nick Suzuki and Erik Brannstrom, taken 13th and 15th in the first round, are both 17.

The trio are believed to be among the most skilled in the draft, but they are also nowhere near ready for the NHL.

McPhee's picks weren't about winning now — but in a few years. Glass, Suzuki and Brannstrom will likely make little impact for the Golden Knights until at least 2020.

As head coach Gerard Gallant said, “The goal is to win a Stanley Cup, not to be competitive for a couple years and get close to the playoffs."

Glass is a skilled centerman who has shown vast improvement in his game over the last year. After registering only 27 points for the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey league in 2015-16, he skyrocketed to 94 points this season.

He will likely return to the Winterhawks for a year or two before he makes his debut in Las Vegas, but he has the potential to be a first-line center for the Golden Knights down the road.

The Winnipeg native weighs less than 180 pounds and will need to put on some size to survive in the NHL.

Speaking of needing to put on weight, Brannstrom was one of the smallest defensive prospects available. The Swede is 5-foot-9, 179 pounds but has exceptional offensive skill for a defenseman.

In three years Brannstrom has the potential to be a weapon from the blue line — particularly on power plays. He passes the puck exceptionally well and has proven he can compete against bigger men in the top professional league in Sweden.

The pick sandwiched between Glass and Brannstrom was Suzuki of the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League.

Appropriately named, Suzuki skates as fast as a crotch rocket but his mind is faster.

Suzuki’s on-ice intelligence has been heralded by scouts from around the league, and once his body catches up he will be an asset for the Golden Knights. For now, the 5-foot-11, 183-pound teenager will need to bulk up and likely spend at least a couple more years in Ontario.

These three picks could be great but they will require a lot of patience to pay off.

The “win in six” plan for the Golden Knights is an ambitious one, but if the team does hoist the Stanley Cup in 2023, we will look back on this day as a major reason why.

By then Glass, Suzuki and Brannstrom will be old enough to drink celebratory champagne out of the cup if they choose.