LOS ANGELES- After sitting out the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, the Las Vegas Golden Knights made a splash on day two, selecting Jakob Ihs-Wozniak out of Adelaide, Australia with the 55th overall pick.
Ihs-Wozniak, 18, is a six-foot-two 190 lbs right wing, who has thrived with his youth team Luleå HF in the Swedish Hockey League, where he finished last season with 57 points in 40 games.
The Knights traded up to snag Ihs-Wozniak, trading the no. 58 and no. 122 pick to the Nashville Predators to put themselves in line for the 55th pick.
“That was super fun that they traded up,” Ihs-Wozniak said. “That shows that they think that I’m a good player. So, I think that’s super fun and I’m excited to get on to Las Vegas.”
Ihs-Wozniak profiles as a sniper of a shot, with a strong ability to find creative ways to get the puck in the net and overwhelm defenses.
“I would say I’m an offensive player with a great shot, passing ability and good hockey IQ too,” Ihs-Wozniak said.
The Golden Knight’s selection is a historic one, making Ihs-Wozniak just the second Australian-born player in NHL history. Though Ihs-Wozniak was born in Adelaide, he has spent much of his life living and playing in Sweden, and sounds the part.
“I think I lost it [Australian accent],” Ihs-Wozniak said. “I speak so much Swedish… I think my dad’s lost it too.”
The Golden Knights made a move later in the draft, trading picks no. 91 and 154 to the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire pick 85, which they used to pick up forward Mateo Norbert out of Beaconsfield, Quebec.
Norbert played for Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL, where he scored 28 goals and 39 assists in 57 games with the Armada.
Norbert’s support abilities will not only pair well with the Golden Knights offense as a whole, but will complement fellow draftee Ihs-Wozniak, with the two young players likely to form a one-two punch of scoring as they develop.
Norbert is an undersized player at the moment, standing at six feet while only weighing 168 lbs. That being said, Norbert is just 17 years old, and has plenty of time to grow into his frame.
For the time being, Norbert relies on his high hockey IQ and quickness on the ice to make plays. He played to a +1 with the Armada in the 2024-25 season and finished in the top 25 in the QMJHL in both goals and assists.
Las Vegas bolstered their young core in the sixth round with back-to-back picks at no. 185 and no. 186, where they selected center Alexander Weiermair from the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL and defenseman Gustav Sjöqvist from AIK of the Swedish league HockeyAllsvenskan.
Standing at 6 ‘1 and weighing in at 190 lbs, Weiermair brings a physicality to the neutral zone that stifles defenses. Pair that with strong passing ability and a diligent approach to defense, and you get Weiermair: who finished the 24-25 season with the Winterhawks with a +13 rating.
Sjoqvist is sure to make an impact as a defenseman on the ice for the Kings. Sjoqvists’s 6 ‘3, 207 lbs frame brings a strong physical presence to any defense he joins, and his 24 penalties in minutes reveals a player who can play cleanly while still controlling the game with his defense, earning him a +6 rating with his club in the 24-25 season.
The 2025 NHL Draft was surely a quiet one for the Golden Knights compared to their fellows in the league, but the choice of picks by Las Vegas reveals a thorough plan that covers all aspects of the ice for the foreseeable Las Vegas future.