Golden Knights address a number of needs on second day of NHL Entry Draft

By Justin Emerson

Saturday, June 22, 2019 | 1:45 p.m.

The Golden Knights went with the best player available in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft last night. On the second day, they went with variety.

Vegas used its seven selections Saturday to grab two sizable centers, two defensive stoppers, two sniping wingers and a goalie at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Golden Knights made their first pick of the day earlier than expected, trading into the 41^st overall selection to take defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey. The Golden Knights traded the No. 48 and No. 82 picks with the rival San Jose Sharks to move up.

Korczak, a 6-foot-3 right-handed shot, registered 33 points in 68 games from Kelowna’s blue line last year but profiles as a more of a stay-at-home defenseman at the NHL level. Korczak and Vegas first-round pick Peyton Krebs were teammates on Team Canada’s U-18 World Junior Championships team this season, where the latter was captain.

Sporting News’ Steve Kourianos called Korczak, “a mobile, physical blueliner who is in the running for best one-on-one defender in his draft class.”

The Golden Knights still had a pair of third-round picks after the trade with San Jose, and used them to grab forward Pavel Dorofeyev (pick No. 79) and defenseman Layton Ahac (No. 86).

Dorofeyev had 31 points in 19 games in the MHL (Russian junior league), before registering two points in 19 games in the KHL (Russian professional league). He is a 6-foot, 163-pound winger who was projected to be picked far higher.

The Athletic had Dorofeyev as the 36th-ranked skater. It’s the second year in a row Vegas has selected a Russian forward after taking Ivan Morozov last year.

Ahac, a 6-2 lefty, helped Prince George win the British Columbia Hockey League title with 32 points in 53 regular-season games, then notched a point per game in 17 playoff games. He said he modeled his game after current Vegas blueliner Shea Theodore and is committed to play at Ohio State next year.

The Golden Knights also had a fourth-rounder and three fifth-rounders. They used those picks on forward Ryder Donovan (pick No. 110), goalie Isaiah Saville (No. 135), forward Marcus Kallionkieli (No. 139) and center Mason Primeau (No. 141).

Donovan is a 6-foot-4 center from Duluth East High School in Minnesota committed to play collegiately at Wisconsin. Primeau is another tall center, measuring 6-foot-5.

The son of 15-year NHL veteran Wayne Primeau played for North Bay in the Ontario Hockey League this year.

Saville, an Alaskan native, was the goaltender of the year and in the United States Hockey League, the top domestic junior league. He’s headed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha next year.

Kallionkieli also played in the USHL, but comes from Finnish and Brazilian descent. He’s regarded as a sniper.

The Golden Knights did not have a sixth- or seventh-round pick.