Which vets the Vegas Golden Knights should build around

On the blue line

There was buzz on Sunday that the teams were already making deals with Vegas in order to keep the Golden Knights from selecting any players the that teams were forced to expose. The Anaheim Ducks were the most notable team in that discussion, due to the large number of top-tier defensemen on their unprotected list. (Sami Vatanen tops that list, although it is believed that the Ducks have already made a deal with Las Vegas to keep the 26-year-old D-man.)

Another team with good defenseman up for grabs is Minnesota, who left defensemen Matt Dumba and Marco Scandella on the protected list. Both are offensive defensemen, and 22-year-old Dumba has plenty of potential to grow beyond the 11 goals he scored this past campaign.

Speaking of younger players due for an upswing: Trevor van Riemsdyk, who was left off of the Blackhawks protected list and has shown improvement with every year that he has been in the league.

And while there isn't as much talk about the older defensemen that are on the unprotected lists, having a strong veteran voice on a newly-developed team could be beneficial. One name out there is 36-year-old San Jose Sharks' blue liner Paul Martin, whose smart style of play and dressing-room presence could enrich a new team. (However, that would mean breaking the pair in Teal Town of Martin and uber-defender Brent Burns.)

In the forward position

Yes, Nashville's James Neal is the big fish in the pond of unprotected offensive players. And yes, his speed and scoring and veteran status would be a great asset to the expansion team. Of course, there are plenty of other forwards that McPhee needs to pick in order to put together a hockey team.

Not to mention that this season's Western Conference champs protected the bulk of their blue line corpse, leaving many capable forwards fresh off of gaining Stanley Cup Final experience. Goal-scorers Colton Sissons and Pontus Aberg are both options that Las Vegas could benefit from. (Remember, rookie Aberg stepped up big for the Predators when he was called up for the playoffs. A player that can do that carries high value.)

There are plenty of other forwards coming off of this past season's playoffs that could bring the high level of experience to the Golden Knights. (Originally, I had thought of Bobby Knight from Ottawa. But taking another look at his contract , Las Vegas might shy away from him.) What is fascinating is the number of good forwards left exposed by the Penguins. Potentially, McPhee could bypass the high-anticipated Fleury pick and go with Carl Hagelin. Or Bryan Rust, who is young and inexpensive, but brings big-game experience to the table.

Let's not forget that the Golden Knights are going to need "bottom six" guys that can balance out the workload – and find the back of the net. Something of an under-the-radar pick that could give Las Vegas depth is New York Islander Ryan Strome. Despite having a down season and finishing with a plus-minus of -8 (it was a rough one all around the Isles), the winger still ended with 17 assists and could possibly benefit from playing elsewhere.

In filling out the roster, McPhee also has a bevy of veteran forwards that were left unprotected by their clubs (many for contract reasons) and could affect the tone of the offense. The Golden Knights could end up with a couple different offense if they went with Marian Gaborik from LA or Joel Ward from San Jose. (Although both have larger contracts that could make other candidates more appealing.) Then again, getting veteran blood on offense might comes together more for Las Vegas beyond the expansion draft, by way of trade or when free agency opens up in July.