Below is more on each of the six draft prospects taken as part of the 2020 event.
1st Round, Pick 29Brendan Brisson
Last year's first-round pick by Vegas is coming off his freshman campaign playing college hockey at the University of Michigan. Brisson finished fourth on the Wolverines in scoring with 21 points (10 G, 11 A) in 24 games and also helped the United States to a gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship back in January. The forward out of Manhattan Beach, California is expected to return to campus shortly for his sophomore year at Michigan.
3rd Round, Pick 68Lukas Cormier
With their second selection in the 2020 draft, the Golden Knights nabbed Lukas Cormier and the offensive defenseman impressed in the following season with the QMJHL's Charlottetown Islanders. Cormier finished fourth among all QMJHL skaters in scoring with 54 points (16 G, 38 A) in just 39 games and was recognized as the league's defenseman of the year. On December 31, Cormier became first member of the 2020 Vegas draft class to sign his entry-level deal with the organization. The New Brunswick native turns 20 in March and will likely return to Charlottetown for the upcoming season with the Islanders.
3rd Round, Pick 91Jackson Hallum
The Golden Knights drafted the speedy forward with their second pick of the third round. Hallum split time during the 2020-21 season between the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers and with St. Thomas Academy during Minnesota's high school campaign. Hallum is committed to playing college hockey at the University of Michigan and is eligible to play in Ann Arbor beginning with the 2022-23 season. The forward will likely spend the upcoming campaign back in Green Bay of the USHL.
5th Round, Pick 125Jesper Vikman
In the fifth round, Vikman became the lone goaltender drafted by Vegas and first since Isaiah Saville was drafted during the same round in 2019. A native of Sweden, Vikman appeared in a total of 22 games during the 2020-21 campaign with AIK J20 (J20 Nationell), AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan) and Tyresö/Hanviken (HockeyEttan). In June, Vikman was selected by the Vancouver Giants with the eighth overall pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft. The 19-year-old goaltender may remain in Europe or play his first season in North America with the Giants.
6th Round, Pick 184Noah Ellis
Ellis was the second defenseman taken by Vegas in the 2020 draft and spent the 2020-21 season playing in the USHL with the Des Moines Buccaneers. In his third campaign with the Buccaneers, he posted 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in 40 games, which was second among the team's defensemen in scoring. The Iowa native is signed to spend the 2021-22 season playing NCAA hockey with UMass-Amherst. In April, the Minutemen won the Division I Men's Hockey NCAA Championship for the first time in program history.
7th Round, Pick 215Maxim Marushev
Marushev began the 2020-21 campaign in Russia and appeared in 37 games with Bars Kazan of the VHL and collected 21 points (8 G, 13 A) to go with 24 penalty minutes. In April, the 22-year-old forward signed an entry-level contract with the Golden Knights and appeared in seven AHL games during the regular season with the Henderson Silver Knights. In the league's abbreviated postseason, Marushev played in each of the team's five contests and chipped in three points (1 G, 2 A). The forward found chemistry playing with Pavel Dorofeyev and both are expected to complete their first full year playing in North America during the 2021-22 campaign.
