Get to know the six prospects selected by the Golden Knights on Day Two
Derek Hegna
Host · Writer
It is pencils down for the Vegas Golden Knights and the other 31 teams in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Golden Knights kicked off Night One on Friday with an explosive trade, sending Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers in exchange for a pair of first-round picks and third-round pick. From there, Vegas would wheel and deal with both the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks, moving down and accruing further selections until landing on Finnish defenseman Juho Piiparinen with the 29th overall pick.
Once the dust settled, the Golden Knights wound up with six picks in the remaining six rounds as they aimed to bolster a farm system in need of reinforcements.
After more moves and selections, here are the latest names to join the Golden Knights organization.
Round 3, Pick 92: Benjamin Wilmott, Forward, Barrie (OHL)
Wilmott was a bit of a surprise to start the morning for the Golden Knights, but his 200-foot game is something the team has traditionally valued highly.
A double-overage forward from Seattle, Wilmott shined this past season in the Ontario Hockey League with both the London Knights and Barrie Colts, posting 66 points and a +30 rating and 22 points in 20 postseason games. With William Karlsson and Nic Dowd both on expiring contracts this season, the need to replenish center depth was there, and Wilmott’s tape reflects a two-way center who can slide into the bottom six forward group in three or four years. Despite being an older prospect, there is some runway for development with Wilmott’s commitment to Ohio State, so how he produces in college will go a long way towards seeing where he is and what details he needs to work on in the NCAA.
Round 3, Pick 95: Sean Burick, Defenseman, Penticton (WHL)
It is going to be a treat watching Burick work during rookie developmental camp, given how he will likely tower over the majority of his contemporaries.
Standing at six-foot-eight, Burick is surprisingly technical for a man his size with some quality skating and puck control. That said, he still stands out as a classic stay-at-home defenseman, using his size and wingspan to cut off attacking lanes and pin opponents to the boards. Burick will have one more year at Penticton before heading off to the University of Denver and, if David Carle can find a way to unlock more consistency and puck-moving ability, this is a player that could easily outproduce his draft position.
Round 4, Pick 113: Jonah Sivertson, Forward, Prince Albert (WHL)
The Golden Knights clearly value what Sivertson brings to the table, as they were willing to offer Montreal a seventh-round pick in exchange for moving up four picks.
Already armed with a NHL-quality shot, Sivertson showed great strides in his defense and skating, although more work is needed to get the latter from being a weakness. However, that does not stop Sivertson from playing the power forward role effectively, seeking contact and crashing the crease while showing a good amount of skill in the process with his passing and offensive creativity. With just a few mechanical issues to work out, Sivertson stands out as an early steal for the Golden Knights, and it would not be a shock to see him in Henderson after further seasoning in the WHL.
Round 5, Pick 159: Will McLaughlin, Defenseman, Portland (WHL)
The Golden Knights appear to have found an unearthed gem with fellow Portland Winterhawk Alex Weiermair in the sixth round of last year’s draft, and they hope McLaughlin can follow a similar trajectory.
McLaughlin has shown some offensive pop both in the WHL and in international competition representing the United States, but his game mostly relies on sound defensive checking and being active with his stick more so than his body. While the goal for McLaughlin will be to show more physicality and keep improving on offense, the rest of his toolkit is NHL-projectable. Defensemen do take longer to develop and, similar to Burick, McLaughlin will try his hand at the NCAA route, beginning this season at Colorado College.
Round 6, Pick 191: Matthew Minchak, Goaltender, Kingston (OHL)
Goaltenders are difficult to truly get a gauge on simply because the position requires more development and a willingness to accept volatility, but Minchak did stand out as one of the better overage options.
Using his six-foot-five frame, Minchak does a good job filling up the net, allowing him to rarely get beat on clean shots and not giving up soft goals. While he lacks a true defining trait like the goalies taken before him, the Golden Knights have seen success with later-round goalies such as Carl Lindbom, who broke out in his D+1 season in Sweden and has seen that success translate to North America with Henderson. By the time Minchak is ready to make the jump to the professional level, the Golden Knights should have a clear idea of their goaltending depth and where he would fit.
Round 7, Pick 207: Noel Pakarinen, Forward, Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)
Similar to Sivertson, Pakarinen was valued by the Golden Knights to such a degree that they flipped a seventh-round pick next year to the Detroit Red Wings for him.
Funnily enough, Pakarinen and Sivertson’s scouting profiles read out almost identically: a young power forward with average skating, but plays the role well and has improved defensively during their draft year. Pakarinen is more on the left wing compared to Sivertson’s right, however, so the two should have no problem being on the same development plan. Very few mocks heading in to the draft had Pakarinen slipping below the fourth round, so keep tabs on him; if the Golden Knights played their cards right, this has the makings of one of the biggest heists of the draft.
