Trevor Connelly 2024 Draft Interview - Paul Delos Santos Vegas Golden Knights prospect Lucas Van Vliet was the second-highest scorer at the World Junior A Challenge and took home a gold medal. The Golden Knights' seventh-round (197th overall) selection in the 2024 NHL draft played with USNTDP last year and elected to play an additional season in the USHL this year with the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Through 22 games, the 18-year-old has scored nine goals and 16 points. Playing at the WJAC-19 was the second time Van Vliet has represented Team USA at an international tournament, the first being the U-18's last year, where he won silver alongside fellow Golden Knights prospect Trevor Connelly. The 6'2, 181 lbs left-handed winger led his team in scoring, recording three goals and 10 points in five games. The only player to have more points than Van Vliet was Sweden's Ivar Stenberg, a top prospect for the 2026 NHL draft and brother of St. Louis Blues' 2023 first-round pick Otto Stenberg. Van Vliet joined Stenberg on the WJAC all-star team alongside American teammates defenseman Jacob Rombach and goaltender Caleb Heil. Van Vliet is committed to Michigan State University and will begin his NCAA career next season with the Spartans. Make sure you bookmark THN's Vegas Golden Knights site [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights/] for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
