The Vegas Golden Knights won a Stanley Cup partly by shipping out prospects for immediate NHL stars. Tony Ferrari analyzes what that means for their prospect pool.

As the NHL off-season ticks on, Tony Ferrari continues to analyze each team’s prospect pool, with the Vegas Golden Knights next up.

In this series, Tony Ferrari digs into each team’s strengths and weaknesses, their latest draft class, where their positional depth chart stands, and who could be next in line for a shot at the NHL. Note that a player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer considered a prospect for the purposes of these exercises unless mentioned otherwise.

Introduction

When you’re the Stanley Cup Champions, you don’t have much to worry about. The Vegas Golden Knights certainly aren’t worried about their prospect pool. They managed to add a few solid prospects at the draft, but Vegas has been more than willing in recent years to sell its prospects to bolster its NHL lineup.

That said, the Knights still have a few solid prospects in their pipeline who could help bolster the lineup over the next few years. 

Pavel Dorofeyev played in 18 games with the Knights last season, scoring seven goals in the process. He is a goal-scorer with excellent hands, and he’s proven to be a very good AHL scorer. Dorofeyev has the ability to cut and dash through the defense, using his hands and feet in cohesion. He could fill one of the few vacancies coming into Vegas’ training camp this fall.

Brendan Brisson is a wicked shooter who had a very good rookie year in the AHL with 18 goals and 19 assists. The former Michigan Wolverine should take a big step in the AHL this upcoming season, challenging a point per game and earning some NHL reps. Brisson has some flaws outside of the offensive zone, such as lacking defensive effort, but the offensive tools are impressive.

On the flip side, Matyas Sapovaliv is a defensive specialist who has been an impressive international player for Czechia. His ability to take it up a notch for his country has been impressive, as he has routinely been one of their best all-around players. The 6-foot-3 center has the intelligence to play a sound defensive game. His hands around the net are very good, elevating the puck from in tight, and he's shown he can be a capable facilitator as well. His upside is limited by his skill, but he remains a very good third- or fourth-line center.

On the back end, Daniil Chayka is a defensive transition stopper. He uses his length effectively and does everything he can to thwart chances against him. Chayka’s first year in the AHL was decent, but he certainly struggled to produce anything offensively. He isn’t a guy who plays with a dynamic flair or attempts to make highly skilled plays. Rather, he settles for simple, effective plays that get his team out of trouble and mitigate the damage.

Lukas Cormier is the polar opposite, playing a game predicated on pushing the pace and creating offensively. His rookie AHL season was impressive in that regard, posting 10 goals and 35 points from the back end. Cormier showed an efficient passing game on the breakout, using his feet to get out of trouble and then getting the puck up ice in a hurry. Cormier does a great job of slipping down into the zone to get himself into a scoring position as well. His defensive play needs to catch up, but he should take a step in that regard this upcoming season.

Kaedan Korczak has had cups of coffee at the NHL level and found success playing his physical brand of hockey. He isn’t one to overcomplicate things, engaging with his 6-foot-3 frame, gathering the puck and moving it to the nearest open teammate to allow them a clean break up ice. He could see a longer look in the NHL this upcoming season, especially if the wear and tear from the long playoff run this past year has any lasting effects.

2023 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 32nd overall - David Edstrom, C, Frolunda J20 (Sweden Jr.)

Round 3, 77th overall - Mathieu Cataford, C, Halifax (QMJHL)

Round 3, 96th overall - Arttu Karki, LD, Tappara U20 (Finland Jr.)

Round 6, 192nd overall - Tuomas Uronen, RW, HIFK (Liiga)

The Stanley Cup Champions had the last pick in the first round and selected big Swedish center David Edstrom. With a developed defensive game and a sneaky good offensive toolset, Edstrom quickly rose up boards at the end of the season. His shot is heavy, and he gets to the middle of the ice with a quickness you don’t always see from bigger players. Edstrom processes the game quickly, finding teammates in great positions to score and moving the puck methodically all over the ice.

Mathieu Cataford seems to have just about everything you’d want in a player skill-wise, but nothing he does is exceptional. He is a tenacious player who never gives up on a play and outworks everyone. He has a good shot and funnels pucks to the center of the ice in the offensive zone. His defensive reads could be a bit better, but that should come in time. Cataford’s next step is finding what makes him special and leaning into that at the pro level when he gets there.

After a very solid year in the Finnish junior league, Vegas drafted Arttu Karki in Round 3. He is a very good shooter, and his playmaking ability is impressive. Karki is a shifty defender who can flash some impressive evasiveness. The biggest issues with Karki’s game come in his own end, where he often doesn’t seem interested in playing the game with any intensity, often giving the inside lane far too easily.

Vegas capped their draft with Tuomas Uronen, a winger who was once regarded as a top-50 player in the class. He seems to understand the process of the game by finding teammates in good offensive spots with his good vision, but he lacks high-end tools. Even then, having the opportunity to add Uronen at 192nd overall was excellent value for Vegas.

Strengths

Vegas has been more than willing to trade future assets for immediate impact, sending out seven of the nine first-round picks it’s had over its seven drafts. That said, the Golden Knights have managed to build a solid stable of potential depth centers. Edstrom and Sapovaliv look like NHL players with excellent defensive habits and developing offensive games. The latter looks like a bottom-six center that plays on the penalty kill and pivotal depth minutes. Jordan Gustafsson missed time on a couple of occasions this year, but he has intelligent habits at both ends of the ice. Add in Cataford from this year’s draft, and they have a number of prospects down the middle that could be NHLers in a few years.

Weaknesses

The Golden Knights could use some depth just about everywhere in their pipeline. The right wing is particularly an area of concern, though. While Jakub Demek and Uronen are solid prospects with some NHL upside, they really lack an impact player at the position. None of their right-wingers project to play top six minutes with any certainty, and they may have to rely on centers moving off to the wing or free agents in hopes of filling those gaps.

Next Man Up: Pavel Dorofeyev, LW

After a few cups of coffee in the NHL over the last couple of years, Dorofeyev could be ready to step into the lineup on a more consistent basis in his age-23 season. His offensive skill is intriguing, and it could provide scoring depth with a blend of skills that Vegas could certainly use. Dorofeyev has incredibly slick puckhandling ability, and he can maneuver around the ice with agility. If he can find a more permanent spot in the Vegas lineup, his flashy skill could provide a new dynamic to the middle six.

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Pavel Dorofeyev, Brendan Brisson, Jakub Brabenec

C: David Edstrom, Matyas Sapovaliv, Jordan Gustafson, Mathieu Cataford

RW: Jakub Demek, Ryder Donovan, Tuomas Uronen

LD: Daniil Chayka, Lukas Cormier, Layton Ahac, Arttu Karki

RD: Kaedan Korczak, Connor Corcoran

G: Isaiah Saville, Jiri Patera, Carl Lindbom

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook, Prospects Unlimited, and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News print edition.