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2019 NHL Mock Draft: Vegas picks top goaltender Spencer Knight

By Simon Vacca

ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 19: Team Langenbrunner goalie Spencer Knight (30) looks on during the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game between Team Leopold and Team Langenbrunner on September 19, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Team Leopold defeated Team Langenbrunner 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PAUL, MN - SEPTEMBER 19: Team Langenbrunner goalie Spencer Knight (30) looks on during the USA Hockey All-American Prospects Game between Team Leopold and Team Langenbrunner on September 19, 2018 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Team Leopold defeated Team Langenbrunner 6-4.(Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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It’ll take a gutsy GM to defy conventional wisdom and select goaltender Spencer Knight in the first round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

Undoubtedly the most esteemed goaltending prospect of the 2019 class, Spencer Knight of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program all but promises to be a revelation at the professional level. At 6-foot-3, 198 pounds, Knight has been widely praised for his calm presence between the pipes, and he’s projected by some scouts to be drafted within a range comparable to none other than Jack Campbell, who was selected 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2010.

The issue, nonetheless, comes down to debates over the question of asset management. After all, is there reason to believe that selecting a netminder  — even one as acclaimed as Knight — in the first round can be fundamentally practical?

It’ll take a daring GM to undertake a course of action of this nature. If Knight reaches his full potential, picking him early will be regarded as a home run for the books. If he disappears into the abyss, the selection shall be a subject of criticism for years to come. And if this week’s rankings are to be any gesture to future possibilities, I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if the Vegas Golden Knights opted to shock the hockey world and enter into the sweepstakes for the talented 17-year-old.

Our April 1 mock draft — considered in conjunction with the league’s reverse standings — is as follows.

  1. Colorado Avalanche — Jack Hughes (C)
  2. Los Angeles Kings — Kaapo Kakko (RW)
  3. New Jersey Devils — Vasili Podkolzin (RW)
  4. Buffalo Sabres — Dylan Cozens (C/RW)
  5. Detroit Red Wings — Bowen Byram (D)
  6. New York Rangers — Peyton Krebs (C)
  7. Anaheim Ducks — Trevor Zegras (C)
  8. Edmonton Oilers — Thomas Harley (D)
  9. Vancouver Canucks — Victor Soderstrom (D)
  10. Chicago Blackhawks — Alex Turcotte (C)
  11. Minnesota Wild — Kirby Dach (C)
  12. Florida Panthers — Philip Broberg (D)
  13. Philadelphia Flyers — Alex Newhook (C)
  14. Arizona Coyotes — Cam York (D)
  15. Colorado Avalanche — Matthew Boldy (LW)
  16. Dallas Stars — Alex Vlasic (D)
  17. Vegas Golden Knights — Spencer Knight (G)
  18. Montréal Canadiens — Moritz Seider (D)
  19. Buffalo Sabres — Ryan Suzuki (C)
  20. Carolina Hurricanes — Cole Caufield (RW)
  21. Nashville Predators — Connor McMichael (C)
  22. Ottawa Senators — Arthur Kaliyev (LW)
  23. New York Rangers — Matthew Robertson (D)
  24. Pittsburgh Penguins — Raphael Lavoie (C/RW)
  25. Anaheim Ducks — Brett Leason (RW)
  26. Los Angeles Kings — Jakob Pelletier (LW)
  27. New York Islanders — Philip Tomasino (RW)
  28. Washington Capitals — Samuel Poulin (RW)
  29. Boston Bruins — Nils Hoglander (LW)
  30. Calgary Flames — Ville Heinola (D)
  31. New York Rangers — Lassi Thomson (D)

News and notes

  • No. 1 — As per a three-team deal, the Colorado Avalanche are set to receive the Ottawa Senators’ first-round pick.
  • No. 19 — The Buffalo Sabres will receive the St. Louis Blues’ first-round selection. The Sabres shipped Ryan O’Reilly to the Blues for three forwards and two draft picks.
  • No. 22 — The Ottawa Senators shall get the Columbus Blue Jackets’ first-round pick as part of the deal that sent center Matt Duchene to Ohio.
  • No. 23 — The New York Rangers will acquire the Winnipeg Jets’ 2019 first-round selection as part of the Kevin Hayes trade.
  • No. 25 — The Anaheim Ducks are set to receive a first-rounder from the Buffalo Sabres as part of the Brandon Montour trade.
  • No. 26 — The Los Angeles Kings shall receive the Toronto Maple Leafs’ first-rounder as part of the Jake Muzzin deal.
  • No. 31 — The New York Rangers will acquire a conditional first-round selection from the Tampa Bay Lightning if the latter win the 2019 Stanley Cup (and a second-round pick if they do not). Since the Lightning currently hold the most points in the NHL, the draft order has tentatively considered them Stanley Cup champions.

dark. Next. FanSided’s 2019 NHL Entry Draft Rankings -- April Edition

The 57th NHL Entry Draft shall take place in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 21 and 22. Be sure to check back for more updates.

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