The Vegas Golden Knights weren’t expected to make much noise during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. Their earliest draft pick was a third-rounder, 95th overall. But if the past nine years have taught us anything, it’s that with this team, you have to be ready for anything.
By the time the San Jose Sharks made the second overall pick, two-time leading goalscorer Pavel Dorofeyev was a New York Ranger, and the Golden Knights had a first-round selection.
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The Dorofeyev trade should have been an indication of what was to come. When the Draft finally came to an end on Saturday, the Golden Knights had made a total of five trades and seven selections.
Here’s a breakdown of the players they selected.
Despite entering the day without a first-round draft pick, the Golden Knights found themselves on the clock at 26th overall. They traded down twice, but eventually selected Finnish defenseman Juho Piiparinen out of Tappara, Liiga.
At 17 years of age, Piiparinen stands 6’3” and weighs in at 203 lbs. He’s a smooth-skating right-shot defenseman who likes to create offense with breakout passes.
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“[Piiparinen is] a really good two-way defenseman,” said Golden Knights Director of Amateur Scouting Raphaël Pouliot. “He’s really good in transition; he’s a good skater. He can contribute in every aspect of the game, and I think he’s got lots of places to grow. His game is really mature. He played in the World Junior this year, started as a 7th defenseman for Finland, and worked his way up and was really effective. He didn’t make many mistakes. And I think there’s the potential for his game to grow as well.”
The Golden Knights used the second 2026 Draft pick they acquired in the Pavel Dorofeyev trade to select Benjamin Wilmott out of the OHL Barrie Colts.
Wilmott is a 6’1”, 190 lb player who plays bigger than his size. He’s a great playmaker who likes to do his damage off the rush.
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“He’s a really versatile player,” said Golden Knights Director of Amateur Scouting Raphaël Pouliot. “He could play the wing; he can play center. He’s a guy who can play both special units— power play and PK.
“He was really good in the playoffs,” Pouliot continued. “In the Conference Final, his team was down 3-1, and they lost their first-line center, who was a first-round pick by Utah. And they came back. They won Games 5, 6, and 7, and two games on the road against Branford, which was arguably one of the best teams in the league; they have 4 first-round picks on their team. I thought [Wilmott] really elevated this game in the playoffs.”
Wilmott is committed to playing D1 hockey at the Ohio State University for the 2026-27 season.
The Golden Knights used the 95th overall pick in the 2026 Draft to select defenseman Sean Burick out of the WHL Penticton Vees.
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Burick is a giant, clocking in at 6’8” and 214 lbs. He’s a physical defensive defenseman who doesn’t shy away from dropping the gloves.
“[Burick is] a really interesting player,“ said Golden Knights Director of Amateur Scouting Raphaël Pouliot. “He’s got a really big frame, but for his size, he can move pretty well… He’s a guy that’s hard to play against. He’s long, and he makes really good use of his stick. He’s able to be physical. He’s really good at puck retrieval, too; he’s able to absorb contact and make good transition passes.”
Burick will spend another year in the WHL before heading to the University of Denver to play D1 hockey for the 2027-28 season.
The Golden Knights used the 113th overall pick in the 2026 Draft to select forward Jonah Sivertson out of the WHL Prince Albert Raiders.
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Sivertson is a 17-year-old sharpshooter who weighs in at 6’3” and 194 lbs. He scored 24 goals and 53 points in 66 games during the 2025-26 season. He’s not the fastest skater, but he makes up for his lack of footspeed with his heavy shot and physical play.
Sivertson was a player the Golden Knights expected to go before the fourth round, so when he was still available, they traded up to get him.
“He’s got lots of tools,” said Golden Knights Director of Amateur Scouting Raphaël Pouliot. “ It was his 1st year this year with Prince Albert in the WHL. He started on the fourth line on a contending team that made it to the League Final. Even though they added three forwards at the deadline, he made his way up the lineup all year, and he was a solid contributor in the top six in the second half. And I think there’s some growth that can be made in his game.
“We really like his smarts, too,” Pouliot continued. “I think he’s got really good hockey sense, that’s one thing we really like about his game. It was his 1st year in the league, and I thought he adapted really well as the year went on and added some layers to his game. He’s got good puck skills as well, really reliable player.”
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The Golden Knights used the 159th pick in the NHL Draft to select defenseman Will McLaughlin out of the WHL Portland Winterhawks.
McLaughlin is yet another big blue liner, and stands at 6’3”, 185 lbs. He’s a mobile, two-way defenseman who uses his exceptional skating to create offense. He registered nine goals and 30 points in 68 games during the 2025-26 season.
McLaughlin is committed to playing D1 hockey at Colorado College for the 2026-27 season.
The Golden Knights used the 191st pick in the 2026 Draft to select goaltender Matthew Minchak out of the OHL Kingston Frontenacs.
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Minchak, who weighs in at 6’5” and 194 lbs, was one half of a goaltending tandem in Kingston. He earned his net and made the most of every opportunity, posting a 12-12-3 record and an average save percentage of .910 in 30 games played during the 2025-26 season.
“[Minchak] came in, he earned his ice, and was really solid, especially the first half of the season,” said Golden Knights Director of Amateur Scouting Raphaël Pouliot. “I think he was second in the league in save percentage and goals against average. So I think there are lots of tools for him. He’s got a really likable size. He’s got a good development path as well. So, this guy, we were really excited to get in the 6th round.”
Minchak is committed to playing D1 hockey at Colgate University for the 2026-27 season.
The Golden Knights used their seventh and final pick in the 2026 NHL Draft to select forward Noel Pakarinen out of Kiekko-Espoo, Liiga.
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At 17, Pakarinen is already 6’2”, 198 lbs. He’s a power forward who plays a 200-foot game. He has a heavy shot and notched 16 goals and 35 points in 44 total games across Kiekko-Espoo’s three squads.
Pakarinen will spend one more year overseas before playing D1 hockey at Michigan Tech for the 2027-28 season.
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