The NHL Draft always brings uncertainty. It’s built on projection, potential, and just enough guesswork to turn front offices into pressure cookers. This year, though, it feels like there’s even more happening behind the scenes, and odds are, there is.
Maybe it’s the noise, the rumors that are louder than usual, the trades quietly brewing beneath the surface, or a class of prospects without a clear roadmap. Matthew Schaefer is the clear-cut No. 1, but who follows after that? Could the San Jose Sharks go with Anton Frondell over the consensus Michael Misa?
Related: 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Plenty of questions like these will be answered tonight in Los Angeles. One of many is that this marks the NHL’s first decentralized draft. Teams, coaches, amateur scouts, and general managers alike will operate from their home bases, not boots on the ground.
Teams were surveyed about their interest in a decentralized draft format due to the high costs of sending staff to the event. Most expressed a preference for decentralization.
It’ll be interesting to see how it pans out; this will be something the NHL has never done before. There have been multiple teams that will have celebrities announcing draft picks, too. The Anaheim Ducks will have two members of the Mighty Ducks movie make their first-round pick, and WWE star Bayley will be announcing for the Sharks.
The Vegas Golden Knights, meanwhile, face a pivotal offseason. Mitch Marner rumors are at an all-time high, and big decisions are on the horizon. With all that said, here’s the 2025 NHL Draft Primer and everything you need to know about what Vegas could do and might not do.
Vegas Holds Six Draft Picks
After the expansion draft had taken place in the summer of 2017, the Golden Knights headed to Chicago, Illinois, where the 2017 NHL Draft was being held. They boasted 12 draft picks and a chance to kick-start their franchise with cornerstone talent.
They started the 2017 Draft by drafting Cody Glass sixth overall, Nick Suzuki at pick 13, and Erik Brannstrom at pick 15. They also drafted Nicolas Hague shortly after in the second round, adding to what was supposed to be a stacked draft class to propel the newest NHL franchise forward.
Now, as we take the binoculars off, none of these players are on the team (Hague seems destined to be traded and is a current restricted free agent), and they’ve yet to make more than 10 draft picks since then.
Coincidence? Probably not, as the Golden Knights’ management has taught us anything; the draft isn’t where they are going to land big-time players. Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Noah Hanifin were all acquired via trade, all during the regular season.
Kelly McCrimmon, Vegas Golden Knights (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
To their credit, though, they aren’t drafting high enough to draft franchise-altering players. It’s not like they have opportunities to draft the Connor Bedards or Macklin Celebrinis of the world.
Now, fast-forward eight years, the Golden Knights enter the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles with six picks and are without their first-round pick. They traded it to the Sharks as part of the Tomáš Hertl trade (the Nashville Predators now own the pick due to the Yaroslav Askarov trade).
The Golden Knights may be quiet tonight, but their six picks tomorrow could give them the chance to make some noise. Those picks are as listed:
Round 2: 58
Round 3: 91 (from Washington Capitals)
Round 4: 122
Round 5: 154
Round 6: 186
Round 6: 187 (from Capitals)
This will be the first draft since 2022 in which the Golden Knights don’t have a first-round pick. During the 2023 Draft, they took David Edstrom (traded to San Jose), and last year at The Sphere, they drafted Trevor Connelly, who headlines Vegas’ thin prospect pool.
Despite the lack of draft capital, this won’t be anything new for general manager Kelly McCrimmon and company. This is simply how they operate.
Will Any Players Be on the Move in Los Angeles?
For those that remember, last year, the NHL Draft took things to new heights, with The Sphere hosting the 2024 NHL Draft. Just a block from the strip and downtown Las Vegas, it was the place to be.
During Day 2, goaltender Logan Thompson was dealt to the Capitals in exchange for two draft picks. There was only one problem: Thompson had been scheduled to sign autographs on the concourse of The Sphere. Despite being traded, he still signed autographs, took pictures with fans, and did something most wouldn’t.
“I was still going to come down for the fans,” Thompson said. “It was cool to come down, sign some stuff and say hi to people — and bye. So it was an easy (choice) to come down” (from ‘After draft-day trade, Logan Thompson shows up in Vegas to sign autographs and say goodbye,’ The Athletic, 6/29/24).
While a situation like this might not ever happen again, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Golden Knights busy on the trade front during the draft either tonight or tomorrow.
With the Golden Knights needing to make room for a potential Marner signing, it only makes sense to create cap space via trade. William Karlsson’s name has floated around the league for a bit now, but I would put cold water on that one for now. It seems the original misfit is staying put in Vegas.
Other players like Ivan Barbashev, even Hertl, among others, could be on the move. While it’s not highly likely, it’s something to monitor as we get closer to July 1.
At the end of the day, whether the Golden Knights make a splash or not in Los Angeles, they are more than likely to in some capacity with free agency around the corner and the need for cap space.
Latest Around the Golden Knights
Hertl was at the forefront of news earlier this week with a report stating he may be getting traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. While, in retrospect, a move like this to ultimately bring in someone else could make sense, I wouldn’t bet on this happening, at least not now.
Some names to keep an eye on during the late portions of the second round are Cameron Schmidt, Ivan Ryabkin, Tyler Hopkins, and Pyotr Andreyanov.
Reilly Smith re-signed with the Golden Knights on Wednesday, June 25, for a one-year contract worth $2 million. After exit interviews took place, it seemed that this was going to happen, given Smith’s desire to remain in Las Vegas. So, no surprise here, and it’s a good deal for both sides.
Along with Smith, Brandon Saad also re-signed with the Golden Knights later that evening on June 25. The terms weren’t disclosed, but Saad was solid during his time in Vegas this season. He recorded 14 points in 29 games.
The Golden Knights remain the frontrunners for Marner as free agency draws closer. As mentioned in this article, Vegas will need to clear cap space if they want to sign him. Adding Marner would give Vegas an elite winger, something they’ve been missing the past couple of seasons.
The Draft Is Shaping Up to Be Anything but Ordinary
Each year, media, scouts, and GMs praise the draft and say so much is going to happen, yet it underdelivers. However, it really does look like this tonight in Los Angeles; things could get wild. Whether it’s a trade(s) or an unexpected draft choice, it’s going to be a highly unpredictable handful of days with the draft and, eventually, free agency. Round 1 will begin tonight at 7 p.m. EST.
