In just over 24 hours, the 2026 NHL Draft will take center stage in Buffalo.
While much of the attention will be centered around Penn State forward Gavin McKenna and several other top prospects, the Vegas Golden Knights will be hard at work on other ventures throughout the next few days.
With only four picks heading into the draft as of Thursday afternoon, the Golden Knights will have to be tactical about what their farm system needs and how they can best use them. Roster transactions could provide Vegas with more picks on top of cap space for moves such as re-signing Pavel Dorofeyev and Rasmus Andersson, but it is more likely that they will be working on finding sleeper picks who can make an impact down the line.
Fortunately for the Golden Knights, this is one of the deeper draft classes in recent memory, so they can find plenty of talent in the middle and late rounds that have genuine NHL ceilings. With Ryan Craig taking over in Vegas and Joel Ward being announced as the new head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights, general manager Kelly McCrimmon already understands what type of players will benefit most from being in the Golden Knights’ system.
With that in mind, here are some quick blurbs of information about prospects who fall into the draft range of picks Vegas could find themselves in.
Jakub Frolo, C, Ilves (Liiga)
Frolo’s decision to relocate from Czechia to Finland appears to have paid off handsomely, as he has terrorized the junior leagues en route to getting games against grown men. He has already earned enough trust to kill penalties and take crucial faceoffs in the defensive zone, while also chipping in secondary offense and providing physicality on the boards. Continuing to get stronger and smarter is a must, but a reliable NHL third-line forward is somewhere in this package.
Wiggo Sorensson, C, Vetlanda (Division Two)
Sorensson’s lack of experience against elite competition, as well as his five-foot-eleven frame, have scouts perplexed as to whether his game can translate at a higher level. However, the body of work at the international level speaks for itself, as Sorensson got a chance to show off great skating with an elite shot. Fortunately, Sorensson going in the middle rounds mitigates the risk of an early burnout, while the rewards could be massive.
Zach Wooten, C, Green Bay (USHL)
A double-overager, Wooten has likely guaranteed he will not be passed up again after recording a point per game in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers. Standing at six-foot-two, Wooten is a coach’s dream with versatility and willingness to do the little things, on top of the skating and scoring ability. He should do wonders at a revitalized Wisconsin program that Vegas fans will be familiar with from seeing them in the national championship game at T-Mobile Arena.
Zac Olsen, F, Saskatoon (WHL)
It will likely require a trade for the Golden Knights to pick up Olsen, but the Calgary native would be a dream selection if he winds up in their range. Boasting arguably the highest compete level in the entire class, Olsen is a classic high-floor prospect that has a ready-made NHL role for someone with his speed, Energizer bunny motor, and willingness to hit everything in sight. He could have been a top scorer in the WHL, but he has elected to go the NCAA route with Colorado College, so he stands as one of the more interesting case studies of the CHL-to-college pipeline for this upcoming season.
Evan Jardine, F, Youngstown (USHL)
I have gone on record saying that Jardine is one of my personal draft crushes and how he would be an excellent fit in Vegas, and I am willing to continue being bearish here. Some question if Jardine can remain engaged in the play, but the highlights and numbers reflect a player with genuine two-way ability and an absolute nuisance off the puck. This is a third-line forward in three or four years time with the potential to play up in the lineup, depending on if the shot continues to improve at Ohio State.
Tyus Sparks, F, Spokane (WHL)
With deep ties to the WHL as is, Vegas would be willing to take a flier on someone in their direct sphere of influence. Sparks has a legitimate chance to be the first NHL player from Idaho since the 1950s, playing much bigger than his six-foot frame suggests while also flashing 40-goal scoring ability and two-way play. The Golden Knights have taken swings on similar players like Mathieu Cataford before, so Sparks should be right up their alley if they want to take a flier on him.
Ludvig Andersson, F, Orebro (SHL)
A forward with potential to stick at center, Andersson has drawn favorable comparisons to Yanni Gourde in the pre-draft process. He’s not the biggest or fastest player out there, but he is one of the strongest pound-for-pound players in the draft, and his awareness allows him to get advantageous looks while breaking up lanes defensively. Andersson’s program in Örebro has some good development with likely first-round pick Alexander Command, and that should serve him well for at least the next couple of years.
Oscar Olsson, F, Orebro (SHL)
Andersson’s teammate in Örebro’s development program, Olsson’s lack of international exposure makes him one of the more unheralded prospects in the class. His six-foot-four frame has still yet to fill out all the way, meaning there is plenty of room to get stronger and play the power forward role that he is already building the skillset for. Olsson should make for an excellent forechecking forward at the NHL level, even if it does take some time to get there.
Caelan Joudrey, F, Wenatchee (WHL)
With a physical profile similar to Olsson, Joudrey put himself on the map this season by nearly doubling his point total with Wenatchee. Joudrey is more proficient with his stick than his body at this stage, but that should help him as the NHL embraces more of a quick transition game. He has committed to Quinnipiac starting from the 2027-28 season, so there is some developmental runway to work with.
Rian Chudzinski, F, Moncton (QMJHL)
An overager who dominated the high school prep circuit last year, Chudzinki’s game translated considerably well when he headed to the QMJHL. Chudzinski is more of a complementary piece than a play-driver on offense, but his combination of size and physicality gives him a high floor at the NHL level. If the offense remains steady, he should make a nice combination with a playmaking center in the middle six.
Jean-Christoph Lemieux, F, Sudbury (OHL)
Lemieux was one of the players who benefitted most from a mid-season trade to a Sudbury team that gave him the opportunity for top-six minutes. He is a bulldog on the ice, providing relentless pressure in the checking game while also serving as a finisher on the offensive end. The skating and decision making still need to be cleaned up, but there is a middle-six forward here.
Ryan Brown, F, London (OHL)
Another mid-season trade beneficiary, Brown went to one of Canadian junior’s more well-known development programs in London (Ontario, not England) and promptly became a point-per-game scorer. Despite the bump in production, Brown’s bread and butter is going to be his energy game, using his speed and tenacity to break up plays and rally his team with hits. Brown feels like a fourth-line player to me, which is fine for the right price in the draft if you prefer to focus on players with clear-cut archetypes.
Kade Stengrim, F, Medicine Hat (WHL)
The six-foot-four Stengrim made plenty of noise towards the end of the WHL season, and his seven goals in the playoffs was third on a deep Medicine Hat squad. It is fitting that Stengrim’s game possesses some similarities to fellow Brainerd, Minn. native Cole Smith, willing to get in front of the net and grind opponents down. File him away as a name to remember if searching for a bottom-six forward in the late rounds.
Dylan Dean, F, Edmonton (WHL)
While not having Stengrim’s size, Dean’s similar game has made himself a known presence in the WHL. Despite standing only six-foot-one, Dean specializes in creating netfront opportunities and tipping pucks in, as well as paying attention to the finer details of his 200-foot game. He has one more year of Canadian junior before he heads off to the University of Maine.
Landon Nycz, D, UMass (NCAA)
UMass head coach Greg Carvel has said Nycz is the best skater on the back end he has seen since Cale Makar, which speaks volumes about just how impressive he is as a prospect. The offensive production dried up for Nycz in his freshman year, but he did not look out of place defensively for the rare 17-year-old that earns a place in a NCAA lineup. This is one of the players I think has the best chance to outplay where they inevitably get drafted, and Nycz will have an opportunity to pair nicely on a team’s second pairing in the near future.
Myles Brosnan, D, Dexter Southfield (US-Prep)
Prep schoolers are always somewhat hard to predict, but Vegas appears to have found something with Jackson Hallum and could look to go back to the well again. Brosnan being an October birthday does hurt him somewhat, but his skating and ability to make decisions with the puck suggest a clear NHL toolkit in his bag of tricks. Going to a higher league would do him some good before he heads off to Harvard in 2027.
Bennett Kelly, D, Prince Albert (WHL)
A small-town Canadian kid representing one of the best teams in the WHL is sure to attract McCrimmon’s attention. While lacking a truly elite skill, Kelly’s duties mostly consist of defending against the rush, breaking up plays and sticking up for teammates as needed. His +49 ranked second amongst Prince Albert, ahead of even potential top-ten pick Daxon Rudolph, which shows that Kelly’s no-nonsense style of play gets results.
Jayden Kurtz, D, Rogers High (US-Prep)
Kurtz has received more attention than fellow prep school defenseman Brosnan, but that likely constituted a middle-round selection. Kurtz did get 16 USHL games, however, showing strong skating and shutdown defensive potential throughout his draft year. Similar to Wooten, Kurtz is off to the University of Wisconsin, which should hopefully assist him in better rounding out his game and get more comfortable using his size.
Noa Ta’amu, D, Edmonton (WHL)
Son of former NFL defensive tackle Fred Ta’amu, it should be no surprise that Noa is a physical specimen with a 238-pound frame. His skating is in desperate need of work, as is often the case with teenage giants, but what has stood out is how quickly Ta’amu has grasped the game, not chasing the big hits and allowing the game to come to him instead of the other way around. Even if he does not develop much of an offensive game outside of completing breakout passes, Vegas could be comfortable with the idea of him as a long-term project in the Brayden McNabb mold.
Russians (F Matvei Kotkov, D Yaroslav Fedoseyev, D Yelisei Ryabykin, D Yaroslav Matyev)
Russian players are always somewhat gambles, mostly because they could easily decide to spend their careers overseas, but that means value can be had if a scout knows where to look. Among the four players listed, Kotkov is an excellent shooter who has grown physically over the past year, Fedoseyev and Matyev have not looked out of place as young players in the KHL, and Ryabykin has been a riser up boards due to his mobility and offensive growth. The hope for all four of these players, should Vegas or any other team draft them, is that they dominate in Russia and eventually arrive in North America in the next four or five years as NHL-ready players, or at least close.
Tobias Tvrznik, G, Wenatchee (WHL)
It is always great seeing European netminder try their luck in North America and, between Wenatchee and his commitment to Ohio State, Tvrznik fits the bill. With prototypical size at six-foot-four, Tvrznik put himself on the map with a 60-save effort in his WHL debut and finishing in the top three across the league with a stellar .913 save percentage. If he can get better at controlling his rebounds and being more agile from post to post, Tvrznik has the makings of a mid-round steal.
Leo Henriquez, G, Green Bay (USHL)
Colgate commit Matthew Minchak was another name I considered for an overage goalie to add, but Henriquez’s skillset is just too fascinating not to mention. Boasting both Slovakian and Dominican heritage, Henriquez’s six-foot-two frame places him just a touch under prototypical goalie height, but he compensates for it with some of the best skating and reflexes among all goalies in the class. Boston College has an excellent track record of developing goaltenders (Thatcher Demko, Cory Schneider, Spencer Knight and Jacob Fowler all come to mind), so Henriquez is worth the speculative add to see what his foundation can create.