Who Will The Golden Knights Draft From The Bruins?
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- It's almost time for the Vegas Golden Knights to take their pick from the Bruins' unprotected players in the NHL Expansion Draft. The only question left is who they will take.
For whatever reason, defenseman Colin Miller has been a popular sticking point for those who have questioned Don Sweeney's decision to protect the older but more experienced Kevan Miller. The latter may lack the upside that Colin has but is more reliable in his own end and has earned the trust of head coach Bruce Cassidy. Must just be the name "Miller" that's made this comparison so catchy.
As Matt Kalman explained on Monday, the Bruins don't necessarily see Colin Miller as part of their plans and wouldn't be terribly upset to see him go to Vegas. This should be an indication that Colin doesn't have as much trade value or long-term upside as you may think, despite his intermittent flashes of high-end talent.
The Golden Knights will have more options from the B's in the expansion draft than it may appear on the surface. Here's a quick look at the players that the Vegas Golden Knights may select from the Bruins when the NHL Expansion Draft takes place on Wednesday night. Colin Miller may not be as much of a no-brainer as you may think.
Colin Miller
In addition to the aforementioned reasons that the Golden Knights may not necessarily take Colin from the Bruins, the 24-year-old is also not alone as far as young, skilled defensemen with offensive upside. The Wild's Matt Dumba and the Ducks' Sami Vatanen look like strong picks for the Golden Knights to build a good young foundation and either one would render Colin Miller redundant.
Two separate mock drafts from TSN do have the Golden Knights taking Colin Miller. But of all positional groups in the expansion draft, defense is arguably the deepest. That's what makes Colin Miller far less of a guarantee to be picked by the Golden Knights than it may seem.
Matt Beleskey
This may appear to be a long shot to any Bruins fan who paid attention last season. Beleskey played in only 49 games due to a knee injury and often being a healthy scratch. He also struggled mightily when he was on the ice, scoring just eight points and posting a minus-10 rating. Even his physicality dropped off, as he went from 3.25 hits per game in 2015-16 to just two per game last season.
That being said ... Beleskey offers a combination of being under 30 years old (he just turned 29 on June 7), cost-controlled (he counts for just $3.8 million against the cap), and under team control through 2019-20 (he's one of just four left wingers that is under contract for that long). If the Golden Knights want long-term stability at the position and someone who would at least give them a steady effort from night to night, Beleskey could be an option.
Malcolm Subban
Speaking of long shots ... this seems utterly laughable on the surface. Subban was an abject disaster in his only start for Boston last season, allowing three goals on just 16 shots in 31 minutes. It feels like the 2012 first-round pick remains several years away from becoming even a representative NHL goaltender, let alone a good one.
But that doesn't mean that everyone thinks the idea of the Golden Knights taking Subban is crazy. He's still just 23 years old with considerable upside, even if it still takes another 3-4 years to be fully realized. The Washington Post's mock draft has Subban heading to Vegas; the Boston Globe's Fluto Shinzawa, who nailed his projected protection list for that same mock draft, also said that that it's not out of line to think the Golden Knights could "take a flyer" on Subban. Even ESPN Boston's Joe McDonald has Subban headed to the Golden Knights.
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen also has the Golden Knights taking Subban as an AHL player and eventual NHL backup. But if the Golden Knights want to take young, high-upside goaltenders, they'll have no shortage of those to choose from, like the Coyotes' Louis Domingue, the Red Wings' Petr Mrazek, or the Capitals' Phillipp Grubauer.
Adam McQuaid
The 30-year-old McQuaid has long been a tough defender who is reliable in his own end as a third-pairing guy, but he's also been very injury-prone. He wouldn't provide much upside to the Golden Knights, but he would be affordable and under team control through 2018-19 for just $2.75 million. Craig Custance's ESPN mock draft has the Golden Knights taking McQuaid.
While he would make a solid fifth or sixth defenseman for the Golden Knights and give them a physical element, McQuaid's skill set could also be found elsewhere. The Blues' Robert Bortuzo would be cheaper ($1.15 million) and the Sharks' Brenden Dillon is younger (26 years old) and would likely be more durable.
Jimmy Hayes
No, really. ESPN's Scott Burnside has the Golden Knights going the Hayes route. The right wing pool appears comparatively thin, with little names beyond the Predators' James Neal and Rangers' Michael Grabner offering much potential excitement for the Golden Knights.
Still, the 6-foot-6 winger has been a huge disappointment in his Bruins career, failing to both live up to whatever offensive upside he had and use his size to his advantage. The guy the Bruins traded him for, Reilly Smith, was also left unprotected. At this point, it would be a huge gift to the Bruins if the Golden Knights took Hayes off their hands.
So who's headed out west?
While Colin Miller seems like the most logical choice for the Golden Knights and has more long-term upside than other players, he's also part of a crowded field of young defensemen with similar skill sets. You can't rule out the Golden Knights going with Beleskey or even Subban, while McQuaid and Hayes still feel like long shots.
Matt Dolloff is a writer/producer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
