Grading Golden Knights’ 2025 NHL Draft class

The Vegas Golden Knights landed the biggest fish of the NHL offseason in 2025. Vegas signed Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $96 million contract following a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The talks around this sign-and-trade deal began during the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.

Vegas did not own its selection in the first round. The Golden Knights traded it to the San Jose Sharks in 2024 to acquire veteran center Tomas Hertl. Trade discussion was pretty much their focus for much of the weekend. In fact, Vegas didn’t make its first selection until pick 55, and they only made four selections in total at the 2025 NHL Draft.

The buzz around the draft has settled, and development camps across the NHL are wrapping up. With this in mind, let’s take a deeper look at the Golden Knights’ small draft class. We’ll highlight each of the four players before handing out a grade based on the initial overall quality of the class.

Jakob Ihs-Wozniak – Round 2, Pick 55

At one point, many pegged Jakob Ihs-Wozniak as a potential top-five selection in the 2025 NHL Draft. That was a few years ago, however. Once the 2024-25 season rolled around, he still had buzz as a first-round pick. But the shine had worn off considerably.

It’s not hard to see why things went south. He isn’t the most competitive player on the ice. He doesn’t have the highest motor, and he can simply linger around at times. Ihs-Wozniak is also not the best playmaker, either, and this could hurt his offensive game at the NHL level.

Still, there are a lot of things to like about the Swedish forward, as well. The Golden Knights draft pick has an excellent shot that can be hard for goaltenders to track. He is very good off the puck, as well, making sure to find the right space at the right time to create a scoring chance for himself. His skating is another major positive.

There are some who believe Ihs-Wozniak can become a middle-six winger at the NHL level. In the same vein, some believe he won’t make it at all. The former feels more likely than the latter, but it’s not the most comfortable projection. The Golden Knights landed a player with a first-round grade at this pick. If they can help him reach his potential, this is a home run.

Mateo Nobert – Round 3, Pick 85

The Golden Knights added depth down the middle with their third-round pick, Mateo Norbert. He emerged as one of the better playmakers in the QMJHL this past season. And if he returns to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, he could put his name up there among the best.

Nobert does well when operating in space, using the time he has to pick out passes for his teammates. He excels when working on the powerplay as well. He also flashed the ability to score goals, as he found the back of the net 28 times this year.

There are some things that can hold him back. For instance, Nobert is on the smaller size, standing an even six feet tall. Moreover, the Golden Knights draft pick is not the fastest player by any means. His overall skating ability is concerning, as well. If Nobert makes it to the NHL, he likely works as a bottom-six playmaking center.

Alex Weiermair – Round 6, Pick 186

The Golden Knights drafted another center in the sixth round, selecting Portland Winterhawks star Alex Weiermair. Weiermaier was not a high prospect on many draft boards. In fact, many believed he would go undrafted in the 2025 NHL Draft. Clearly, the Golden Knights see something they liked.

Weiermair’s calling card is his high motor and checking. He will never quit, no matter the situation. He is a ferocious backchecker, and he is relentless on the forecheck. The Golden Knights draft pick plays with strength, and he uses this strength to aid his puck control in the offensive zone.

However, Weiermair projects as organizational depth at best. He doesn’t have a particularly dangerous shot. And his overall work in the offensive zone is nothing special. If he does make it to the NHL, he would be a fourth-line defensive specialist who could contribute on the penalty kill. Even then, it’s a long shot.

Gustav Sjöqvist – Round 6, Pick 187

Vegas’ final pick came one selection after Weiermair, and he’s the only defenseman in the class. Gustav Sjöqvist had an impressive season in Sweden’s top junior league, scoring 11 goals in 31 games. The offense may not translate, but that’s just fine for the Golden Knights.

Sjöqvist is a very, very physical defenseman. He has not met a hit he did not want to deliver. The Swedish defenseman does do well to keep his hits clean for the most part, and that’s promising to see. He is a high-energy checking rearguard who is also quite capable in his own zone.

The projection to the NHL for Sjöqvist is a tad more comfortable than Weiermair. Sjöqvist very well could make the league as a physical, shutdown defenseman on the bottom pairing. However, it’s still a long shot for him to make the NHL at this time.

Grade and final thoughts

The Golden Knights receive a slightly below-average grade for their 2025 NHL Draft class. Vegas did not have a ton of depth to their class, so it’s hard to give them a majorly high score. At the same time, half of their picks do have a comfortable projection to the NHL. That’s certainly not nothing, and it could pay dividends for Vegas down the line.

Golden Knights draft grade: C-