The Vegas Golden Knights are less than 24 hours away from announcing their first full roster, and general manager George McPhee confirmed on Tuesday he’s been working the phones.
NHL expansion draft: Golden Knights say they have already agreed to 6 trades
Teams are buying off Vegas with draft picks.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
McPhee spoke to the media for the final time before the expansion draft on Wednesday. Vegas must submit their final list of drafted players by 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday, but McPhee said he’s not going to do so until the last minutes.
McPhee also confirmed the Knights have at least six trades in the works with teams ahead of the expansion draft. In other words, NHL clubs are offering draft picks or more (valuable assets for an expansion team) for a promise from Vegas that the Knights won’t take certain players in the draft.
At this point it’s not hard to figure out who those teams are.
The Blue Jackets have reportedly agreed to trade a first-round pick to Vegas, as well as the New York Islanders. The Chicago Blackhawks were one of the first teams reported to have agreed to a Knights trade, as were the Anaheim Ducks. Late Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Times reported the Lightning were also involved in Vegas trade talks.
It’s not inconceivable to think the Golden Knights will have two or three first-round picks in Friday’s NHL entry draft.
On Monday, McPhee gave a deadline to teams to offer the Knights trades. He decided to spend Tuesday with his front office and scouts to figure out who to take in the expansion draft.
The NHL and Vegas will reveal those selections on Wednesday night during the NHL Awards.
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