Vegas Will Not Select Capitals’ Philipp Grubauer

For all the talk of the Vegas Golden Knights potentially loading up on goaltenders, news continues to come out that makes it seem as if they have instead decided to do the opposite. After reports that GM George McPhee passed up on both the Red Wings’ Petr Mrazek and the Rangers’ Antti Raanta, Isabelle Khurshudyan of the Washington Post has confirmed that they have also decided not to select Washington Capitals goalie Philipp Grubauer. Grubauer was heavily rumored to be a target of the Knights, especially given that McPhee was the general manager in Washington when Grubauer was drafted. Instead, it will be another one of his teammates who gets the call.

Grubauer, still just 25 years old, has been putting up excellent numbers in the shadow of Vezina-candidate Braden Holtby for years now. This past season, Grubauer made a career-high 24 appearances and posted a .926 save percentage and 2.04 goals against average. Due in part to Grubauer’s efforts – though he did not play enough to get actual credit – the Capitals allowed the fewest goals in the regular season this year and Holtby was named the recipient of the William M. Jennings Trophy. Many feel that the young German keeper has outgrown his role as backup and there was a feeling among those same people that he might fit in nicely as the 1B to Marc-Andre Fleury’s 1A in Las Vegas. Instead, he will stay in Washington, as the Knights have passed on his services. The Capitals still have the option of trading the restricted free agent, but will probably be relieved to have him back and will look to retain their talented backup instead.

So who might be the pick now? Khurshudyan suggests that, if not Gruabauer, it must be promising young defenseman Nate Schmidt, who Capitals fans were equally nervous about losing. However, assuming that many of the leaked names hold true, Vegas has not exactly chosen their team according to what most thought they would do and with many defenseman already confirmed, perhaps Schmidt won’t be the pick. We’ll know one way or another in a matter of hours.