The Vegas Golden Knights entered the NHL draft with only four picks. They left making seven selections.
They got help with the trade of Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, acquiring the 26th pick on Friday and trading down twice to obtain two more picks in the process.
Here’s who the Knights selected:
No. 29 — Juho Piiparinen
Birthplace: Finland
Position: Defenseman
Junior team: Tappara (Liiga)
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 203 pounds
Piiparinen played professionally at 17 years old and has been described as a good puck mover with good instincts defensively. He’ll be able to develop internationally before making the move to America at some point down the road.
No. 92 — Ben Wilmott
Birthplace: Seattle
Junior team: Barrie (OHL)
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 190 pounds
Wilmott played 66 games with the London Knights and Colts, scoring 66 points and recording a plus-30 rating. Wilmott helped Barrie reach the 2026 OHL championship, collecting 22 points in 20 games. He played two years in the USHL with the Chicago Steel and Sioux Falls Stampede before making his way to Canada.
No. 95 — Sean Burick
Birthplace: San Clemente, Calif.
Junior team: Penticton (WHL)
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 214 pounds
Burick is unofficially the tallest draft pick in Knights history. He played 50 games last season, recording only four assists but playing well at a plus-25 clip at 5-on-5. Penticton reached the WHL semifinals in the team’s inaugural season. Buirck attended Shattuck-St. Mary’s and helped the school to the US 18U Nationals Tier I championship two years ago.
No. 113 — Jonah Sivertson
Birthplace: Regina, Saskatchewan
Junior team: Prince Albert (WHL)
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 194 pounds
Sivertson was a player the Knights had higher on their board and were happy to get him where they did in the fourth round. The forward played 66 games with the Raiders and had 53 points and was a plus-46. Prnce Albert made it to the WHL championship, falling to the Everett Silvertips. He had 10 points in 20 playoff games.
No. 159 — Will McLaughlin
Birthplace: Canmore, Alberta
Junior team: Portland (WHL)
Position: Defenseman
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 185 pounds
Continuing the run of defensemen, the Knights were also pleased with their selection of McLaughlin, a big body who is capable of putting up points. McLaughlin had 30 points in 68 games with the Winterhawks and was a plus-11 at 5-on-5. He won gold at the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with Team USA. He had three assists during the international tournament.
No. 191 — Matthew Minchak
Birthplace: Cranford, New Jersey
Junior team: Kingston (OHL)
Position: Goaltender
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 194 pounds
The Knights have had a run of luck with goaltenders late in the draft over the years. They appear to have another gem in Minchak in the sixth round. Minchak played 30 games with Kingston, posting a 2.91 goals-against average and a .910 save percantage. He helped them make the OHL playoffs, and appeared in three of four games. He finished with a .911 save percentage.
No. 207 — Noel Pakarinen
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California
Junior team: Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga, Finland)
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 192 pounds
Pakarinen appeared in 44 games and had 35 points between time on three Finnish teams, including the top men’s league in Liiga. He was Rookie of the Year in the U20-SM Sarja league, leading his team to the championship with 10 points in 15 games.
