The Chosen 1's 2021-09-02 The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up the 2021 EHE Entry Draft by selecting nine total players. This review will give an in-depth scouting review from a general site of the players selected by Vegas, and a behind the scenes account that went into the selection of each player by General Manager Doug Waite. Jesper Wallstedt I G I Lulea HF (SHL) Round 1 I 13th Overall What do the scouts say? "He’s a strong, fluid skater in the crease, and doesn’t mind coming out to challenge oncoming threats. He’ll ramp up the aggression when necessary, but only when the moment calls for it. He tracks pucks well. He doesn’t get rattled when he makes a mistake. Wallstedt’s precise finding his parameters around the blue paint, and has a fairly evenly distributed ability to stop pucks with his hands."-Eliteprospects 2021 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "Wallstedt is a prospect who I have had on my radar for about three years now. He was always my number one target in the draft. After talking to a number of teams about moving up, I was 99% sure I was not going to be able too. However, a late night discussion with Carolina netted me the 13th Overall pick, and my confidence skyrocketed. I was still worried that he might be off the board and belonging to Detroit when I selected. When the Wings selected Lucius I was pretty confident that I was going to be able to grab him. Then the new cat in town shows up, LA trades up. Confidence went down a few notches instantly. LA has zero goaltenders under 39 years old. When LA selected Sebastian Cossa a series of fist pumps started. If Wallstedt had been selected, I would have been fine with selecting Cossa, but a little let down. At the very beginning of the year, I thought I might be able to get him in the later stages of the first round. That thought quickly evaporated as the season progressed. It really went out the window when Stevie Y took him in the NHL. If Wallstedt and Cossa were both off the board, Sillinger would have been my selection."-DW Simon Robertsson I RW I Skelleftea AIK (SHL) Round 2 I 44th Overall What do the scouts say? "He pushes his top hand from his body and fully engages the lever-motion downforce on his stick for a mechanically clean shot with plenty of zip and accuracy. Robertsson couples that shot with savvy off-the-puck timing to make him a consistent scoring threat in the offensive zone."-Eliteprospects 2021 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "After moving the 35th pick to Carolina, I was trying to move up from 44th. I was really going hard for Zach Dean or Oskar Olausson. If I had kept my original 24th Overall and this 35th pick, those two along with Francesco Pinelli, and Zachary Bolduc would have been my targets. One of my favorite moments, sending an offer, to get back the old: "Who are you going to take?" Being a good Chrisitan Boy, I told that team who I would take. Then like the Heathen General Manager he is, he selected that young man. Out of respect of that General Manager, I will not name the team he represents. ;) Back to the selection of Robertsson, I thought about skipping him here in an attempt to grab him with my second 2nd Round pick, but felt he would have been gone. Couple flags on him, but he has such a good shot, and felt he should have went higher in the NHL draft, and that St. Louis got a steal by grabbing him in the third round."-DW Samu Salminen I RW I Jokerit U20 (U20 SM-sarja) Round 2 I 56th Overall What do the scouts say? "The hallmark of his game is his intelligence. Salminen sees plays developing several steps in advance and plans his every step accordingly, whether he has possession or not. He has that goal-scorer’s knack for finding the right place to set up shop, and his one- and two-touch finishing game never fails him. He’s every bit the credible shooting threat without the puck as he is with it."-Eliteprospects 2021 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "I was all in on Danila Klimovich if he was there. Not surprisingly though, Martins grabbed him right before this pick. In the long run though, it was a-ok on my end. Love Samu and his game. Captain of Finland's U18 team, and was a PPG player at that tournament. He is someone I am interested to see develop in the future. Another year with Jokerit U20 coming up, then off to the University of Denver for 2022-23."-DW Evan Hause I D I Quebec (QMJHL) Round 3 I 74th Overall What do the scouts say? "His skill as a skater lends itself exceptionally well to the breakout. Nause creates advantages for himself on every defensive zone puck retrieval, shoulder checking for options, using the environment to obstruct forecheckers, adapting his speed to the situation, and using the middle of the ice to create controlled exits."-Eliteprospects 2021 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "I was really hoping Dylan Duke was going to be here. Yet again, Martins. He wasn't the only GM who told me they were going to grab him before my pick though, so it was a wishful thought. With Duke off the board I just planned on sitting back and waiting to see how the draft shook out. Ryan Francis was another player I was eyeing here, and he went to Carolina four picks before me. Being light on defense, I went with the best one I had on my board. I was pleasently surprised to see Nause was still there."-DW Landon Slaggert I LW/C I Univ. of Notre Dame (NCAA) Round 5 I 134th Overall What do the scouts say? "Slagged played like a bulldozer in this game, he threw heavy hits, outmuscled opponents along the boards and seemingly always wanted to play the body to win the puck. He could outwork opponents in the slot as well. Showed some good speed and decent acceleration. Strong physically, dominates in board battles and in corners."-Eliteprospects 2020 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "Hat tip to the General Manager who puts out that fine World Junior Championship yearly magazine. Damn fine work. Flipping through the pages, I found Slaggert was not selected in the 2020 draft. He instantly went on my board. There was a 0% chance I thought he would be here. I really thought he would have been selected by Cole at pick 60 for the Sens. This was a double fist pump, one for being there, two for being a player from Notre Dame. If Slaggert was not here, I would have went with Ty Volt, Carter Mazur, or Jack Bar."-DW Henrik Tikkanen I G I KalPa (Liiga) Round 6 I 184th Overall What do the scouts say? "At 6-8, Tikkanen tops even the existing redwoods in North American pro hockey. He’s a bit light for that height at 201, but that probably helps him to be so agile for someone that huge. While his technique needs development and consistency, Tikkanen typically remains calm under fire and uses his size effectively. He doesn’t like to go down unless he has to."-Dobber Prospects Behind the Scenes: "The plan was always to take two goalies in the draft this year. A goalie from this years prospects, and a goalie that was either from a past draft, or a UFA who signed. Devon Levi.....ha, I had the same odds of getting him here as Levi does developing in the Sabres system. Tikkanen is definitly going to be a project. Two things led me to grab Tikkanen here. His selection by the Islanders, who I feel have an amazing goaltending development staff. The second, his play last year once he was promoted to KalPa from IPK."-DW Guillaume Richard I D I Tri-City (USHL) Round 6 I 191st Overall What do the scouts say? "Richard’s NHL dimension is defence, where he’s a frequent play-killer. Knees bent, head on a swivel, and constantly adjusting his positioning, he has projectable defensive range. His confidence defending the rush grew through the season, establishing his gap earlier and earlier to force dump-ins and neutralize threats along the boards."-EliteProspects 2021 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "This pick was down to two defenseman. I selected Richard over the other player because of his play at the U-18's. While the other player had more points to Richard's 0, Richard led Team Canada with a +14. The last Vegas selection who was on his way to Providence looks very nice right now. Glad I traded him away in a deal to clear out cap space like an idiot."-DW Albin Sundsvik I C I Skelleftea AIK (SHL) Round 7 I 201st Overall What do the scouts say? "Sundsvik' s wrist shot had a good, swift, release and did not have much wind-up time. He could place his shot well and gave the goaltender problems even while shooting from quite far out. In his own end, Sundsvik worked hard and but in the effort needed. His stickwork looked good and he could engage in physical play when he attempted to win the puck."-EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "Another player found in the pages of that WJC Yearbook. Someone pay that man who makes it! Couple players were in mind here. Liked Sundsvik because of Anaheims success with scouting Swedes in late rounds."-DW Liam Gilmartin I LW I USNTDP (USHL) Round 7 I 216th Overall What do the scouts say? "He consistently uses the inside lane for exits and entries, often going cross-ice to change the part of the attack. He recognizes his options quickly, using his handling skill to squeak past a forechecker then start the play or making the backhand pass. Gilmartin brings some defensive value, through the aforementioned physicality and persistence."-EliteProspects 2020 NHL Draft Guide Behind the Scenes: "To break the fourth wall with this pick. While enjoying the finer points of life, being the GM of the EHE VGK, and lead Editor at the "Late Night Press", those jobs pay a non-respectable zero dollars. My actual, money paying job sent me into a wonderful tailspin of, "ahhh shit, I'm not going to be able to make this selection, and ahh shit, I'm going to be awake for 28 hours today." An hour into my shift, I knew I would be staying for another 15 hours. So with a little magic, I was able to send the EHE League Offices an emergency text. I sent the commissioner a list of two players, and two directions. Thankfully, Gilmartin was on the board, because my number two pick was not who I wanted. Looking a 16 hour shift in the face, and ready to punch my partner in the side of the head after listening to the same story 3 times in an hour, a name skipped my brain. That second player I had on my list, Connor Lockhart. Erie Otters. Nice pick Gary."-DW These young prospects are now able to etch their name into Vegas Golden Knight lore. Along side the names of Bryce Misley, Patrik Virta, Viktor Antipin, Milos Roman, and Tyler Tucker. So they go. The Chosen 1's. Andrew Payeurhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzgalcl3tD8The Chosen 1'sVegas 2021 Draft Review and Behind the Scenes Peek• 1 teams Like this 3 yearsAndrew Payeur Live look at the Blue Jackets and Golden Knights on the draft floor3 years 0 teams Like this
