2024-25 NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown: Vegas Golden Knights’ Top 10

Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back.

It’s time to kick off Daily Faceoff’s second annual NHL Prospect Pool Breakdown, looking at the best all 32 teams have to offer. We’re highlighting the top 10 prospects for every franchise, their biggest strengths and weaknesses and so much more.

The criteria for being labeled a “prospect” are simple: players generally have to have played in 50 or fewer NHL games or spent more time outside of the NHL than in it last year. Skaters over 23 years old are not included, with goaltenders needing to be 25 or under.

Today, we’re looking at the Vegas Golden Knights.

In the pursuit of greatness, the Vegas Golden Knights have decimated their prospect pool.

Between trading just about every first-rounder (most recently, shipping off David Edstrom to San Jose) and not making more than six picks in a given year since 2019, the Golden Knights have prioritized winning now at all costs. It worked out in 2023, making the exercise 100 percent worth it. They fell short in 2024 but should still remain a contender if the team can remain healthy heading into the postseason (cue the Mark Stone jokes).

The Golden Knights made a big splash at the 2024 NHL Draft at Sphere, selecting the controversial but skilled Trevor Connelly with the first pick. They then took a swing on massive goaltender Pavel Moysevich in the third round, giving the team a potential long-term option in net to go alongside 2021 pick Carl Lindbom.

Their drafting has been fine, given you can only work with what you’re given. But when the Golden Knights fall, they’ll collapse – and hard.

Biggest Strengths

The Golden Knights have some decent (at best) wing depth, with Connelly leading the way. He’s a future top-six forward, giving this group a huge boost with how skilled and determined he is with the puck. But it goes a bit deeper, with Brendan Brisson and Mathieu Cataford both showing signs that they could still be something, while Ben Hemmerling and Jakub Brabenec have some bottom-line potential. With a bit of everything, it’s a good spot to be in.

Biggest Weaknesses

There just isn’t much to get excited about here. Beyond Connelly, we’re talking about mostly depth players at most positions. The Golden Knights have traded so many impact players to get players they need in the moment, and it paid off in 2023. But I truly feel confident about just one player in this pipeline being able to play more than 200 games in the NHL, with others (like Brisson and Cataford) being more long-shot options to become full-time players.

Fast Facts:
NHL GM: Kelly McCrimmon
Dir. of Amateur Scouting: Scott Luce
Dir. of Player Development: Wil Nichol
AHL Affiliate: Henderson Silver Knights
ECHL Affiliate: Tahoe Knight Monsters

*Trevor Connelly (Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff)*

TOP 10 PROSPECTS

1. Trevor Connelly, LW, 18 (Providence College, NCAA)

Acquired: Drafted 19th overall, first round in 2024

From an on-ice perspective, Connelly has so much going for him and was an excellent pick for the Golden Knights. He might end up being the most purely skilled winger the team has ever taken. He’s been the best player on the ice every time he represented the United States and lit up the USHL all season long. He almost cracked 80 points last year, making him one of the most productive wingers in the draft class. It’s too bad his U-18s ended with a bad penalty because he looked like a star out there on USA’s third line. Defensively, Connelly needs work, but I do appreciate how well he controls the game with the puck on his stick. One of my concerns about his play was how little it felt like he utilized the talent around him in Tri-City, but that wasn’t as big of an issue when paired alongside LJ Mooney at the U-18s. I expect Connelly to be a major piece of Providence’s attack this year.

2. Brendan Brisson, LW, 22 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 29th overall, first round in 2020

Brisson is the only Vegas first-rounder taken before 2024 that hasn’t been traded thus far, so you know they must really like him. The 22-year-old had eight points in 15 games with Vegas last year, which was a promising start after another solid run with Henderson. The smart, creative, goal-scoring winger has had issues with consistency in the AHL, and he can get too fancy sometimes, but nobody can claim he doesn’t have a pro shot or isn’t good on the man advantage. I know scouts like it when he slows the game down and thinks through his plays. At some point, though, Brisson is going to need to figure things out, because he’s nearing half a decade since the Golden Knights took a shot on him, and he already has two years of pro hockey to his credit.

3. Matyas Sapovaliv, C, 20 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 48th overall, second round in 2022

*Matyas Sapovaliv (Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports)*

Sapovaliv may not be a big-time producer, but I think he will be a good NHLer. That’s because he’s big, strong, and a perfect net front presence while being a decent two-way player. At 6-foot-4, his size is ideal for a middle-six power forward, and while he’s not going to go out there and just run people over, Sapovaliv is tough to overpower. His best offensive trait is his playmaking, finding and holding lanes while playing with a high level of patience. I think he’ll transition to the AHL quite nicely this coming season, while Sapovaliv could become a very tactful bottom-six forward in a few years.

4. Mathieu Cataford, RW, 19 (Rimouski, QMJHL)

Acquired: Drafted 77th overall, third round in 2023

After three years of being a leader on the Halifax Mooseheads, Cataford is ready to break the 100-point barrier with Rimouski. He had 40 goals and 90 points a year ago and registered two assists in four games with Henderson to close out the year. The energetic, smart winger isn’t tall, but he’s physically strong and isn’t afraid to throw the body if he can’t beat you with a quick move. He’s been a play-driver for the past two years with Halifax, and his pure offense has made him one of the most effective players in the QMJHL. He’s not a two-way player, though, so he’s going to have to rely on generating scoring chances to have a realistic shot at being an NHL player.

5. Lukas Cormier, LHD, 22 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 68th overall, third round in 2020

*Lukas Cormier (Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports)*

Cormier was rewarded for a good year in Henderson with a two-game stint with the Golden Knights, nabbing an assist in his debut against the New York Islanders on Jan. 6. The two-way defenseman was a high-end producer near the end of his QMJHL career, scoring 33 goals and 81 points in 2021-22 before embarking on his pro career. While he hasn’t been able to dominate offensively in the AHL this year (his offense dropped by 15 points in four fewer games), Henderson wasn’t very good and he still looked like the best player on the ice most nights. He’s small and can struggle defensively, so he’s not a sure bet to be more than maybe a power-play specialist in the NHL, but he at least deserves another shot with Vegas in 2024-25.

6. Carl Lindbom, G, 21 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 222nd overall, seventh round in 2021

Lindbom had another excellent year of pro hockey, putting up two shutouts and a 17-7-0 record with the Farjestad of the SHL. He even played four games with Sweden’s men’s team, with a 25-save shutout against Finland in April being a highlight. Now, Lindbom is headed over to Henderson to challenge for the starting role while getting into some preseason games. Lindbom is one of the more underrated goaltending prospects in the game, partly due to his mid-sized 6-foot-1 frame. I think he’s athletic enough to not need to worry about that much at the next level, but now he’s got a chance to prove that in North America for the first time.

7. Pavel Moysevich, G, 19 (SKA St. Petersburg, KHL)

Acquired: Drafted 83rd overall, third round in 2024

At 6-foot-5, there’s so much to like about Moysevich. The Belarusian goaltender was passed over in 2023, but he was given big praise from scouts for how good he looked with SKA in both the KHL and MHL. He’s got the size teams crave and the athleticism to boot, too. Moysevich does a great job of holding the fort down low and has an active shoulder that allows him to take space away up high. He simply looks ahead of his age group in terms of maturity and positioning. I’m really excited about his future because he’s got the makings of someone who could end up becoming a huge value pick.

8. Arttu Kärki, LHD, 19 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 96th overall, third round in 2023

I liked Karki’s decision to head to the OHL and put up a ton of points for a year before heading back to play pro in Finland. He had 21 goals and 45 points for the Soo Greyhounds, with the understanding that he was always going to challenge to make Tappara’s Liiga team as a Draft+2 player. I expect him to be productive there next year after a season of growth and two-way improvement in the OHL, so I’m excited to see what he does next season. As an offensive defender, there’s a lot to like. But if he’s going to be an NHL blueliner, he needs to add more speed to his game and round out his game defensively to prevent getting beat so often in 1-on-1 situations or by pinching too much.

9. Ben Hemmerling, RW, 20 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 177th overall, sixth round in 2022

*Ben Hemmerling (Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports)*

Hemmerling finished off his WHL tenure as captain of the Everett Silvertips, scoring a career-high 30 goals and 91 points in 65 games. Two things became apparent this year: he picked his shot selection better and was willing to hit just about everyone in sight. Now he’s set for the pro game, and I’m interested to see how he adapts to the AHL. You expect fourth-year junior players to put up points, but he seemed to just get “it” by the end of his time there, showing a more dominant, overall game. Hemmerling plays a fast, smart game, and I do think he’s got the overall skills to challenge for an NHL spot at some point.

10. Jakub Brabenec, LW, 20 (Henderson, AHL)

Acquired: Drafted 102nd overall, fourth round in 2021

Brabenec will never be mistaken for an offensive contributor. He was more than a point-per-game player during his two QMJHL seasons and had an excellent 2023 World Juniors, but that’s not going to be his game in the NHL. Instead, it’s to be a big-bodied, defensively reliable, hard-working winger who moves quite well. He’s not heavy, per se, but he’s strong and doesn’t get pushed around much. I thought he looked good enough in a role position with Henderson and will spend a few more years there ironing out his two-way game to become more effective as a bottom-six player. I don’t think he’ll become a full-time NHLer, but he’ll at least be call-up fodder at some point.

Other prospects: Jakub Demek, RW (21), Jordan Gustafson, C (20), Trent Swick, LW (20), Lucas Van Vilet, LW (18), Tuomas Uronen, RW (19), Jackson Hallum, C (21), Abran Wuebe, LHD (20), Artur Cholach, LHD (21), Noah Ellis, RHD (22), Christoffer Sedoff, LHD (22), Joe Fleming, RHD (21), Daniil Chayka, LHD (21), Jesper Vikman, G (22), Cameron Whitehead, G (21)