VEGAS (July 24, 2021) - The Vegas Golden Knights made five selections on the second and final day of the of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. During both days of the event, the team made their selections from the Vegas Golden Knights NHL Draft Command Center in Las Vegas.
Golden Knights Select Five Players In Rounds 2-7 Of The 2021 NHL Draft
The team made their selections from the Vegas Golden Knights NHL Draft Command Center in Las Vegas
Below is a full list of Golden Knights' draft selections in rounds 2-7 with quotes from Lowes and Chayka.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL BOB LOWES
Thoughts on scouting Daniil Chayka in his unique situation…
Well, it wasn't easy. He came in as a high-profile guy out of Guelph. He couldn't come back, so he was playing in Russia. He's having a tough time at times fitting in somewhere, but we saw him at the Karjala Cup with men and he was outstanding. He had various times of the year where he was outstanding and other times where he struggled a little bit. We had a really good interview with him. He spoke about how hard of an adjustment it was with different teams, different coaches, different opportunities and lack of opportunities. We were really comfortable where we got him. We like his upside from what we've seen in Guelph and various things we've seen this year.
Thoughts on how Jakub Demek got onto your radar…
He was a guy that played on the Slovakian U18 team, and we did some video on him, some background on him. He just kept popping off the page every time we watched him. We watched him and in our due diligence, we thought in the fourth round it was a really good investment in a kid that's coming over to North America. He's a guy that flew under the radar a little bit. We really like the upside of him. He has good size, good skill and a really good development path.
Thoughts on character being a factor in your evaluation…
I think it's huge. When we interviewed all of them, a big part of it was how they handled the covid situation. What was the worst thing about covid, but what is something they did that they wouldn't normally do? I think they're all really high-character kids. We pride ourselves in the due diligence that we do. We really believe that how good of a person you are will tell whether you'll reach your full potential or not. I think that we have a lot of high-character kids in this draft.
Thoughts on the European scouting this season as opposed to some of the domestic leagues…
We had Zach Dean in the QMJHL. We felt comfortable about our list and how evaluations went. The Chayka kid was really an OHL player and would've played in the OHL this year. We were pretty comfortable with what he's done in his underage years. If anything, he probably fell because he didn't get to play in the OHL. The other guys are all coming over. The Brabenec kid is coming to Charlottetown. We would've watched him in Charlottetown this year, but he wasn't able to come over. The Demek kid is coming over, so is the Cholach kid. We feel really comfortable with their development path and we just really like what they bring with their skillset and their potential. For us, it doesn't matter where they're from, we just want to get the best players to help us win.
Thoughts on if this draft feels any better to complete after what the organization went through over the last year…
If you want to know how hard of a year it was, I really give Bill Foley credit for letting us scout. We were never told once that we couldn't go anywhere or do what we needed to do. That came right from George McPhee and Kelly McCrimmon. It really had its trials and tribulations. I think there is five or six of us that got COVID, and it wasn't pleasant for a few of us. We just kept battling through. If you want to know how tough it is to be on the road normally, it's tough, but especially when you're trying to avoid getting sick. When do you get sick, spending 14 days in a hotel somewhere, it's no fun. There are a few of us that went through it, but we got through it and we're really proud of our work this year. We're really proud of our group and we're really thankful to the organization for allowing us to do our job.
Thoughts on Jakub Brabenec…
He was going to go play in Charlottetown. What happened with a lot of these kids is that they ended up back in Europe and their plan-b wasn't very good. For his plan-b, he ended up playing pro and he didn't have a great year statistically, but we really trust Vojtech Kucera and he had a real good feel. With his own age group, he was very good. He's really raw, we think the offensive upside will come. We thought he was one of the best offensive players. We really like his development path, and we were really trying to maneuver to get to him. We felt that if we didn't get to that area, then we weren't going to get him. We found out later there were other teams that were going to pick him, and we were able to move ahead. We were able to move back a couple spots to gain a pick and to get Chayka and it worked out real well. Then, we were able to use that to move one of our own picks and a fifth-round pick and we still had a fourth. I thought we managed the grid real well. We were well prepared and real happy with our players.
Thoughts on variances in draft boards this year…
Well, it's always varying. There were a lot of Russian players that were hard to see and other guys that have been through a draft already. I think you're going to see the repercussions from this year even go into next year's draft until we get back to normal. The 2004 group is really good, but I think there are some players that were eligible for this draft that weren't really able to show everything that they could show. They're going to be in the mix next year too. It is going to take another year, maybe two to get it back to normal.
Thoughts on if team considered moving up in the first round…
We always look and consider the draft and the grid. In the first round, we were looking at maybe maneuvering to get up to get somebody, but it just didn't work out. We were patient and we got a good player.
Thoughts on Carl Lindbom…
We got in the seventh round and felt he was the best. When you get in the final round, it's about having a feeling about a player and his talent. I know he's a shorter goalie, but we're seeing a lot of those guys play in the NHL and there are a few of them. If you know his background, he's the top goalie for Sweden in his age group, the top goalie at U18, at the U20 camp and in the final round we thought he was the most talented player at his position. I know he's a little smaller, per say, at the position as a goalie, but guys grow, and they find a way. We wanted to give him an opportunity and bet on him in the final round.
2nd Round, Pick 38
Daniil Chayka, Defenseman
Birthplace: Moskva, Russia
Height: 6-3
Weight: 185 lbs.
Age: 18
Shoots: Left
- Drafted in 2018, round 1 #7 overall by Guelph Storm in the OHL Priority Selection
- In 2019-20, played in 56 games for the Guelph Storm in the OHL, totaled 34 points (11 G, 23 A) with 18 PIMs; then played 12 games for Russia U18 in the International Junior League, totaled 4 points (3 G, 1 A) with 10 PIMs
- Awarded the Hlinka Gretzky Cup Gold Medal with the Russia U18 "A" team (2019-20)
- Was selected for the WJAC-19 All-Star Team (2019-20)
- In 2020-21, played 11 games for CSKA Moskva in the KHL earning 1 G, 1 A and 10 games for Zvezda Moskva in the VHL with 1 A
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2021 DRAFT PICK DANIIL CHAYKA
Thoughts on playing in Russia during your draft year…
In September or October, I found out it was a struggle over there. Me, my agent and family started to think about where I can play this season, because I needed to play to get better. The first team I talked to was CSKA Moskva. We figured the contract out, it was a three-way contract, and I said thank you so much to them for giving me that opportunity to play some games this season.
Thoughts on where you plan on playing next season…
The OHL. I was really sad to find out that the OHL couldn't play the season. I can't wait to get back there.
Thoughts on your decision to come to Canada to play hockey…
We made that decision with my family and agent because my dream is to play in the NHL and in the Stanley Cup. I want to help my team and have a long career in North America. We understand that there is more opportunity out here in North America than in Russia, so that's why I made the decision to play in Toronto. My agents helped me with everything with the team in Toronto. Of course, my parents were nervous, but I had a good feeling right away about playing in Toronto. Everything worked out well for me, so me, my family and agents we're really excited about that. I'd say it was great development for my career.
Thoughts on your style of play…
I'd say I'm a two-way D. I'm more of an offensive player, the way I play in the OHL especially. Coach allows me to join the rushes. I feel more confident after that. I'd say that's the best part of my game, my offensive game. I'll try to get better every day. Of course, I'll never forget about the d-zone. I won't let other teams score. It's all about the team and the coach.
Thoughts on a specific strength of yours and one area you'd like to improve…
I would say my best skill is hockey sense. The one I would love to work on is skating. The game gets faster every single year. There are so many fast guys and if you're going to be slow on the ice, you will not have a chance to play in the NHL. Skating is a very important skill right now in hockey.
Thoughts on Vegas and being drafted by the Golden Knights…
It's a neat team. As you can see, I have a jersey, it's a funny story. When I got to Toronto for my first year to play in the GTHL, we met a great family and became friends with them. They helped my family a lot in Toronto, and they got me that jersey for my birthday over there during Vegas' first season in the NHL. It's a cool story right now, they got me the Vegas jersey and now Vegas selects me. It's a great city with crazy fans there. I watched the playoffs this year and the atmosphere at T-Mobile Arena is something that any hockey player would dream of, to play in that rink, especially during the playoffs. I can't wait to see that city and meet the fans. It's a great organization and great place for development and hockey.
4th Round, Pick 102
Jakub Brabenec, Forward
Birthplace: Brno, Czech Republic
Height: 6-1
Weight: 165 lbs.
Age: 17
Shoots: Left
- Appeared in 23 games for HC Kometa Brno as a 17-year-old in 2020-21
- Tallied four points (0 G, 4 A) in the U18 World Championships for the Czech Republic this year
- Recorded eight points (2 G, 6 A) in all international play in 2020-21
4th Round, Pick 128
Jakub Demek, Forward
Birthplace: Kosice, Slovakia
Height: 6-4
Weight: 196 lbs.
Age: 18
Shoots: Left
- Appeared in ten games for HC Kosice in Slovakia
- Tallied 13 points (4 G, 9 A) in 25 games with Team Slovakia U18 in Slovakia2
- Recorded eight points (2 G, 6 A) in six games in international play in 2020-21
- Will play for the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) in 2021-22
6th Round, Pick 190
Artur Cholach, Defenseman
Birthplace: Lviv, Ukraine
Height: 6-2
Weight: 201 lbs.
Age: 18
Shoots: Left
- Won a silver medal with Ukraine in the WJC-20 D1B in 2019-20
- Appeared in four games for Sokol Kiev (Ukraine) in 2020-21
- First player drafted out of Ukraine since 2007 (Sergei Gaiduchenko)
- Third overall pick in the CHL import draft
7th Round, Pick 222
Carl Lindbom, Goaltender
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Height: 6-1
Weight: 179 lbs.
Age: 18
Catches: Left
- Won bronze medal with Sweden in U18 World Championships
- U18 World Championship Top-3 player on team
- Posted a .928 SV percentage in international play in 2020-21
ABOUT THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
The Vegas Golden Knights are a National Hockey League franchise owned and operated by Black Knight Sports and Entertainment LLC. The Vegas Golden Knights were established by founding partners William Foley and his family and the Maloof family. For the latest news and information on the Golden Knights visit
vegasgoldenknights.com
. Fans can follow the team on
Facebook
,
